Wesleyan Chapel. Stafford

STAFFORD. A new Wesleyan chapel is about to be erected at Stafford, at a cost of £2,000. [Building News 7 April 1863 page 302]

STAFFORD —As we stated in last week's Building News, a new Wesleyan chapel is about to be built in Stafford. We learn that the building is to occupy the site of the present chapel, taking up also a portion of the site of the £ in the rear. The remainder of the schools, will be converted into vestries, &c. The new chapel is to accommodate 800 persons, and will be of Gothic character, but with a flat pitched slated roof. It is to be built of red bricks, relieved with stone and bands of various coloured bricks, which will also be introduced in the window heads. The principal entrance will form a colonnade, and the galleries are approached by stone staircases on each side; the walls of the one on the side next the minister's house being carried up a considerable height above the main building, forming a campanile. The galleries will be supported by ornamental cast-iron columns, which will be run up to carry the roof. The seats | will be in the form of stalls, and of red deal varnished, to correspond with the other wood-work. The drawings were supplied by Messrs. Hayley and Son. Manchester, and the work is to be carried out by Mr. Moss, of Stafford. [Building News 24 April 1863 page 322]

STAFFORD  - On the 2nd inst., the memorial-stone of a new Wesleyan chapel was laid at Stafford. The new chapel will be of the Romanesque style of architecture. The principal façade consists of a central gable, pierced with a large wheel window of stone; having aisles of lower elevation on its sides, the one next the minister's house screened from view by a square tower, about 80 ft. high, rising above the main gable or clerestory, and crowned with a pyramidal roof and metal vane. The clerestory, affording the main source of light and ventilation, will be pierced with semi-circular-headed windows, disposed in triplets. This portion of the edifice will rest on a continuous bressummer, superimposed on light cast-iron pillars, and relieved with large semi-circular brick arches, these features openly exposed to view from the interior; the bressummer being wrought and ornamentally moulded, and the arches having moulded labels and soffits. The roofs and galleries will be open-timbered, with ceilings of plaster beneath the subordinate “spars.” It will accommodate 800. The exterior will be wholly faced with red pressed bricks, relieved with straw-coloured brick and local stone, disposed in voussoirs, corbel, and string-courses, and bands of variegated brick- work in patterns. Messrs. Hayley and Son, of Manchester, are the architects. The builder is Mr. William Moss, of Stafford. The total cost, including warming apparatus, etc., will be about £2,300. [Building News 12 June 1863 page 457]

The memorial stone of a new Wesleyan chapel has been laid on the site of the former edifice in Chapel-street, Stafford. The new chapel will be 65 feet in length and 45 feet in width, approached by three distinct entrances from the main street; the central entrance, consisting of a covered arcade, communicating with the two side entrances, which will afford access by stone staircases to the galleries, extending along three sides of the structure. At the rear of the chapel will be a small and three larger vestries. The general form of the edifice—a form necessitated by the impossibility of gaining side lights— is that of the basilica; and the style of architecture is Romanesque. The principal facade consists of a central gable, pierced with a large wheel window of stone; having aisles of lower elevation on its sides, the one next the minister's house screened from view by a square tower, about 80 feet high, rising above the main gable or clerestory, and crowned with a pyramidal roof and metal vane. The clerestory, affording the main source of light and ventilation, will be pierced with semi-circular headed windows, disposed in triplets. This portion of the edifice will rest on a continuous bressummer or supporting beam, superimposed on light cast-iron pillars, and relieved with large semi-circular brick arches; these features openly exposed to view from the interior; the bressummer being wrought and moulded, and the arches having moulded labels and soffits. The interior of the chapel will be very simple in character, the roofs and galleries open-timbered, with ceilings of plaster beneath the subordinate spars. It will accommodate about 800. The exterior will be wholly faced with red pressed bricks, relieved with straw-coloured brick and local stone, disposed in voussoirs, corbel and string courses, and bands of variegated brickwork in patterns. The building has been designed by, and is being executed under the direction of, Messrs Hayley and Son, of Manchester, architects. The builder is Mr. Wm. Moss, of Stafford. The total cost, including warming apparatus, railing, and other charges, will be about £2,300. [Builder 4 July 1863 page 483-48]

Reference    Building News 7 April 1863 page 302
Reference    Building News 24 April 1863 page 322
Reference    Building News 12 June 1863 page 457
Reference    Builder 4 July 1863 page 483-484
Reference    Builder 20 February 1864 Page 130 with extensive note