Birtenshaw Methodist Chapel Darwen Road Bromley Cross Bolton

A new Wesleyan Chapel is about to be erected at Toppings-Turton, near Bolton-le-Moors, to accommodate about 350 persons. The estimate of Mr Townson, contractor, of Bolton, has been accepted (£1330). The architect is Mr Thomas Ormrod, also of Bolton. [Building News 8 May 1874 page 513]

BIRTENSHAW - On Saturday the foundation‑stone of a new Wesleyan chapel was laid at Birtenshaw, Lancashire. The building will be Gothic in style, and will consist of a chapel 57 feet 6 inches long, and 35 feet wide, with vestries. The walls will be of brick, with blue brick bands and string‑courses and stone dressings. Accommodation will be provided for 346 persons, at a cost of £1,330. The plans have been prepared by Mr Thomas Ormrod, architect, of Nelson‑square, Bolton, and the contractor is Mr William Townson, of Bolton and Astley Bridge. [Building News 10 July 1874 p75]

NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL AT BIRTENSHAW, BOLTON - On Saturday afternoon the memorial stone of a new Wesleyan chapel for the district of Birtenshaw, Toppings, was laid by Mr. Alderman P. C. Marsden in the presence of a considerable number of spectators. The buildings, which will be in the Gothic style of architecture, comprise a chapel 57 feet 6in. long and 35 feet wide inside, and at the back or north end a minister's vestry, with choir vestry over same, having externally the appearance of a chancel. The principal entrance will be at the front. The walls will be of brick above the stone foundations already put in, the front and two side elevations will be faced with pressed bricks, and relieved with blue brick bands and string courses, also stone dressings as plinth capping, window sills, cap and weathering stones to buttresses, and other projections. Internally the walls of the chapel will be wainscoted 4 feet high with match boarding, finished with moulded capping, above which the walls will be finished in plaster. The height of the chapel internally will be 18 feet to the square of the side walls and 26 feet to the highest part of the ceiling, which will partly be placed above collar beam of roof principals. The form of the ceiling will be wagon-headed, and the roof principals of hammer-beam form of construction, but designed to suit the form of ceiling, exposed to view below ceiling line, resting upon the walls and finishing upon moulded stone corbels, built in the side walls. The chapel is to be divided lengthwise into five bays, marked internally by the roof principals and externally by buttresses to the side walls, and will be lighted on each side by a two-light window to each bay, having brick mullions and arches. The pulpit and communion will be placed at the north end of the chapel, and the remaining space on ground floor will be fitted up with spacious and comfortable pews in the centre and partly at the sides (divided by aisles), having sloping backs to seats, framed bench ends, pew doors, book boards, hat rails under seats, &c. The remaining spaces at the sides will be fitted up with seats intended for free seats, similar in general appearance but without doors., The pulpit and communion fittings will be of pitch pine, all other joiner's fittings in the chapel, &c, of yellow pine, stained and varnished throughout. The chapel will comfortably seat 346 persons, 188 in pews, and 72 on the free seats on the ground floor, 16 in the orchestra, and 70 in scholars' gallery. The estimated cost of the building, so far as now contracted for, is £1,330. This is exclusive of heating and lighting, erection of outbuildings, boundary walls, and formation of grounds, &c, which, with other incidental expenses, will probably increase the cost to about £1,600. The plans have been prepared by and the works are being carried out under the superintendence of Mr. Thos. Ormrod, architect, of Nelson Square, Bolton, and the contractor for the whole of the work now arranged for is Mr. William Townson, joiner and builder, of Bolton and Astley Bridge. [British Architect 10 July 1874 page 25-26]

Reference    Building News 8 May 1874 page 513
Reference    Building News 8 May 1874 page 518 - tenders
Reference    Building News 10 July 1874 p75
Reference    Builder 5 September 1874 page 756
Reference    British Architect 10 July 1874 page 25-26