Trinity Methodist Chapel. Duke Street Southport

NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL SOUTHPORT.—Last week, on Wednesday,(20 May 1863) the foundation stone of a new Wesleyan chapel, to be erected in Duke-street, Southport, was laid by Mr. Fernley, at whose sole expense the building is to be raised.  … The chapel is to be a stone building, in the early English style of architecture, to contain about 800 sittings. Inside measure is 111 ft. by 57ft., exclusive of transepts. No gallery. Nave, side aisles, apse, tower, clerestory, and two vestries. Architects, Messrs Starkey and Cuffley, Manchester. Contractors : Mr. Riding, bricklayer; Messrs. Ellis and Hinchcliffe, masons; Messrs. Bowden and Edwards for the remainder of the work. Clerk of the works, Mr. G. Ogg. [Manchester Courier 30 May 1863 page 9]

SOUTHPORT (LANCASHIRE) - The New Wesleyan Chapel, Duke-street, Southport, called Trinity Chapel, has now been completed, and opened for divine worship. The total cost of the edifice, exclusive of parsonage house, - the latter of which is not yet completed, is estimated at nearly £9,000. The chapel is of the Early Lancet period of architecture and has been built from the designs of Messrs Starkey and Cuffley (now Cuffley and Horton), of Manchester. The plan comprises clerestoried nave and aisles; transepts and apsidal chancel; with tower at north-west angle, and porch on south side, and a chamber for warming apparatus under chancel. The exterior is executed in Burnley wall stone and Hoghton ashlar, and the interior arches, labels and dressings generally of Hoghton stone. Carved crosses surmount all the gables, and the chancel is terminated with a gilt cross. The total interior length is 114 feet 6 inches; width across the aisles 57 feet; and the cross transepts 77 feet. The entrances are through the tower and porch, the former being enriched  by shafts, with polished capitals and arch mouldings decorated with the dog-tooth. Side entrances and inner lobbies to both tower and porch are also provided. The separation of nave and aisles is effected by stone arches, supported on 12 inch circular polished Peterhead granite columns surmounted on chamfered square Burnley stone bases, which stand a little above the pewing, so as to leave the entire column exposed to view. Polished serpentine marble shafts, with foliated capitals and corbels, carry the principals of the chancel, the roof of which is panelled for decoration. The whole of the roofs are boarded, and all the timbers and boarding exposed. In the nave and transepts the roof is ceiled across at the collar, with pierced quatrafoil boarding running down the centre, and immediately above with a wooden tube for ventilation. The whole of the pewing is executed in pitch pine, has sloping backs and is calculated to seat 775 persons inclusive of children. The pulpit is of Caen stone. The whole of the windows have been fitted with stained glass of geometric design, by Messrs Edmundson and Son, of Manchester. The aisles, chancel and several entrances have been laid by Mr Oakden, of Manchester and Liverpool, with encaustic tiles manufactured by Messrs Maw, of Broseley and Mr Godwin of Hereford. The iron gates and lamps to the several carriage entrances, etc are of wrought iron by Mr Skidmore of Coventry, who has also carried out the whole of the gas lighting, which is effected by parti-coloured pendants suspended over the centre of each archway, and so leading the eye toward the principal and central feature, the apsidal chancel. Mr Skidmore has also executed the communion railing. The whole of the works have been carried out by the following contractors, namely:- The stonework by Messrs Ellis and Hinchcliffe, of Manchester; brickwork by Mr Riding, of Southport; warming apparatus (hot water principle) by Mr Wilson, of Manchester; and the rest of the work under the superintendence of Messrs Bowden Edwards and Forster, of Manchester. Mr Bonehill of Manchester executed the carving. The building generally has been superintended by Mr Ogg, as clerk of the works. [Builder 1 October 1864 page 730]

TRINITY WESLEYAN CHAPEL AND DAY SCHOOLS, SOUTHPORT: The Chapel and Schools which form the subject of our illustration, were opened for divine service on the 15th September, 1864, the foundation stone having been laid on the 28th of May, 1863. They have been erected through the liberality of Mr. John Fernley, who has defrayed the whole cost, and neither pains nor expense have been spared in making the edifice perfect in every respect; the result being a chapel which, for chasteness and excellence of workmanship, has perhaps no rival in Methodism. The style is the Early Lancet, and the building has been erected from the design and under the superintendence of Messrs. Cuffley and Horton, of Manchester (now Cuffley, Horton, and Bridgford). The plan comprises clerestoried-nave and aisles, transepts, and apsidal chancel: with a vestry on each side, with a tower at the north-west angle, and a porch on south side, and a chamber for heating apparatus under chancel. The exterior is executed in Burnley-wall stone and Houghhton ashlar, and the interior arches, labels, and window dressings generally of Houghton stone. The total interior length is 114 ft. 6 in., width across nave and aisles 57 feet, and across transepts 77 feet. The nave arches are supported on circular polished Peterhead granite columns. Polished serpentine marble shafts, with richly foliated capitals and corbels carry the principals of chancel, the roof being panelled for decoration. The whole of the roofs are boarded, and all the timber and boarding exposed. In the nave and transept, the roof is ceiled across at the collars with pierced quatrefoiled boarding running down the centre, and communication immediately above with a wood tube, for the purpose of ventilation. A double principal, filled in between with quatrefoiled boarding, and carried on coupled marble shafts, as before described, marks the division of nave and chancel. A distance of 18 feet at the west end is arched off from the nave for the use of the choir and Sunday-school children, and arched recesses are formed on each side for the reception of the organ, the organist playing from his seat in the centre of the choir at the front. The whole of the pewing is executed in pitch pine, and is calculated to seat 775 persons, inclusive of children. The whole of the windows have been filled with stained glass, of chaste geometric design, by Messrs. Edmundson and Son, of Manchester. The wrought-iron gates, and other ornamental iron-work, as also the gas lighting, have been executed by Messrs. Skidmore. The works have been carried out by the following contractors, namely—Stonework, Messrs. Ellis and Hinchcliffe, of Manchester; the brickwork, by Mr. Riding, of Southport; warming apparatus (hot-water principle), by Mr. Wilson of Manchester; and the rest of the work by Messrs. Bowden, Edwards and Forster, of Manchester; Mr. Ogg being the clerk of the works.

TRINITY DAY-SCHOOLS, SOUTHPORT, by the same architect as the chapel, are in immediate connection with the grounds of Trinity Chapel and minister’s residence, and, with the offices and play- grounds, occupy about 3040 square yards. The principal front is towards Talbot Street, and comprises the infants’-school, 39 feet by 20 feet, with class-room attached, and on each side are the schoolmaster's and chapel keeper’s residences respectively. In the rear of the infants’-school is the mixed juvenile school, 56 feet by 30 feet, with class-rooms, cloak-rooms, and lavatories. Red brick, with stone dressings, relieved by blue brick diapering, has been the material used. The roofs are celled across at the collars, for the purpose of ventilation, and plastered between the rafters, which are wrought and stained. [The Civil Engineer and Architect’s Journal. 1 March 1865 page 65]

Reference    Manchester Courier 30 May 1863 page 9 – foundation stone
Reference    Builder 1 October 1864 Page 730
Reference    Manchester Guardian 3 September 1864 Page 1 - notice of opening
Reference    Liverpool Daily Post 16 September 1864 page 7
Reference    The Civil Engineer and Architect’s Journal. 1 March 1865 page 65 - with Engraving