Claremont Baptist Chapel, St George’s Road, Bolton

CLAREMONT.—The Baptist new chapel on St. George's-road has been opened for divine service. The building is in the Italian style of architecture, and was designed by Mr George Woodhouse, of Bolton, architect. The principal front is situate in St. George's-road, and is set back 15 feet from the line of street. The main walls are built of pressed bricks. On each side of the ground-floor story are seven large windows, with arched segmental reveal arches and jambs; the upper windows have semi-circular heads ; and at the springing of the arches in front and sides are built bands of black brick forming distinctive horizontal lines. The base course of the walls is built of pitch-faced wall stones, quarried from the neighbourhood, and the dressings are Yorkshire stone. The gallery front and framing has two circular ends, the former with pitch-pine framed elongated panels, with mouldings, cornice, and mahogany book-board. Iron columns, with capitals, support the gallery, which is divided into five pews at each side and aisle. At the north end is a children's gallery, which will seat 200. The framing to the gallery is similar to the body of the chapel, but of common pine. All the woodwork is stained and varnished; all the floors throughout are boarded; and the windows are fitted with sliding sashes for external ventilation. The ceiling is divided into central bays, with plain border and dentil cornice and mouldings. Five sunlights, gilded, are suspended from the ceiling, and a number smaller in size under the gallery give light to the whole chapel. The great width of the edifice ia spanned by a double queen-post roof, and covered with blue Bangor slates. Three vestries are provided at the back part of the ground floor of the chapel, together with a general staircase. The nature of the site has enabled the architect to provide a large and commodious schoolroom, and he has introduced a mezzanine floor and balcony, with sliding sash-front. This arrangement gives to the committee nine separate class-rooms for the teaching of adults. The whole of the rooms are lighted by external windows, and the class rooms are fitted with fireplaces. A fire-proof room is provided, and hot-air heating apparatus has been fixed by Whittaker & Constantine, of Bolton. The chapel and offices will cost about £5,500. The contractor who has executed the work is Mr John Robinson, junior, of Hyde. [Builder 2 April 1870 page 271]