Wesleyan Chapel, King Street (now Madison Street), Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent

In 1871 a Wesleyan Home Mission Chapel, was started in Cooper (now Jefferson) Street. It was replaced by King Street Chapel and Schools opened in 1874 to accommodate the growing population at the north end of Tunstall. The chapel is a large brick building in a Romanesque style. The chapel closed in 1975 when it combined with three other chapels to form Tunstall Methodist Church

TUNSTALL - The foundation stones of a new Wesleyan chapel and school have been laid here. The site of the new building is King-street, at the upper part of the town, where there is a large extent of new buildings. The edifice comprises a chapel to seat about 750 persons, a schoolroom for about 400 children, and five classrooms. Tho site upon which it is being erected has a frontage on its north side to King-street, and extends southwards to Cooper-street. Tho schoolroom will be under the chapel, and will be approached on the level from Cooper-street, whilst the chapel entrance will be from King-street, slightly elevated above it—an arrangement necessitated by the nature of the site. 'The design is of Italian character, and the materials to be used are red brick, with moulded bricks and bricks of other colours for relief, and stone dressings. The King-street front presents a gable as a central feature, projecting somewhat before the rest of the front, and contains the two doorways in the lower part, with small windows on either side of the same to light the vestibules ; above the doorways, and occupying almost the whole of the upper part of the gable, is a recess spanned by a semi-circular arch with carved keystone, and this recess is filled in with two two-light windows up to its springing line and the tympanum, with a circular window and spandrels of ornamental brickwork. Tho central gable is flanked by the two gallery staircases, which are circular on plan, and which terminate at a less height than the gable by circular roofs. The side elevations and elevation to Cooper-street are plain, but are relieved by bands and arches of blue brick. The internal arrangements of the chapel on the ground floor consist of the front vestibule, 6 ft. 6 in. wide, approached through two doorways fitted with sliding doors, and from which, right and left, through glazed swing-doors, the gallery staircases (which also form inner vestibules leading to the ground-floor) are entered, and through other doors to the body of the chapel, which is to be entirely pewed, arranged with two aisles, and a portion of the side pews set apart as free. Tho rostrum is to be placed at the opposite end to the entrance, and will be inclosed by a communion-railing to correspond. The arrangement of the upper plan is for galleries to extend four sides of the building; the front gallery will be eight pews deep, and the side galleries three. The organ will be placed in the end gallery behind the rostrum, and on either side of it will be the children’s seats, which will be approached from the schoolroom by means of a back staircase, and this staircase will provide additional means of ingress and egress for the congregation on special occasions. The form of ceiling will be one with coves finished by mouldings, and the cove will spring from foliated corbels and panelled pilasters. The interior woodwork will be slightly stained and varnished; that of the most prominent parts, such as gallery front, rostrum, etc., will be of pitch pine, and the remainder red deal. The front of the site to King-street will be inclosed by palisades and gates, and the approach from the same to the chapel will have flag pavement and retaining walls complete. The architect is Mr. George B. Ford, of Burslem, whose designs were selected from public competition; and the builder is Mr. William Cooke, of Burslem. The contract for the building and fencing is £3,197. [Builder 29 November 1873 page 955]