Building Name

Weslyan Chapel, Fletcher Street, Manchester

Date
1861
Street
Fletcher Street
District/Town
Manchester
County/Country
GMCA, England
Work
New Build

NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL, MANCHESTER. ‑ A few days ago the new Wesleyan Chapel in Fletcher‑street, Manchester, was publicly opened. The building has been erected from the designs of Mr George Woodhouse, architect, of Manchester; and the cost will be £3,500. The chapel has been built on a plot of land contiguous to the former chapel, which is proposed to be converted into day and Sunday schools. The walls are of brick, faced with the best patent, and having Yorkshire stone dressings. The building is plain Italian in style, the object being to combine utility, strength, neatness, and economy. Without much attempt at ornament, it has a bold, imposing appearance outside, and is commodious and lightsome within. The front to Fletcher‑street is 59 feet wide, the total length from front to back being 95 feet 3 inches; a part of this length, 15 feet 9 inches, consists of an orchestra 26 feet 6 inches wide in the centre; with a vestry on each side, filling up the remaining width, but not carried up as high as the chapel, thus reducing the apparent length to 79 feet. The height of the chapel, from ground line to top of parapet outside, is 48 feet. The front entrance ascended by a broad flight of steps, has two large folding doors, having pilasters, consoles, archivolts, and keystones, with cornice and blocking over, surmounted by a triple window, with imposts, archivolts, &c.

The facade is finished with a bold cornice and battlement, which are continued on each side of the chapel also. On each side of the front entrance, there is a lofty arched window, divided into two lights by a stone panel at the intersection with the gallery door. On each side of the chapel there are six similar windows. In the centre of the roof there is a neat ventilation turret surmounted by a gilt vane. There is a gallery on each side and to the front of the chapel; under a portion of the latter is a central vestibule 19 by 9 feet, and two side vestibules 18 by 9 feet, with a flight of stairs in each giving access to the galleries. The front gallery is semi-circular in plan, and is very spacious; the galleries are supported by iron pillars with enriched capitals; over which is a deep panelled cove, terminated with an enriched band, which forms the base to the front of galleries. The arched heads to the windows have moulded archivolts inside supported by panelled imposts and pendants. The ceiling is horizontal, and has a large cove and enriched cornice round the walls. There are also five Centre pieces, highly enriched, intended for gas sun‑lights in the centre, by which the chapel will be lighted. The orchestra is formed into a semi-circular apse, with coved ceiling having cornice at the spring, and a panelled arch in front to separate it from the body of the chapel. The floor is raised three feet above that of the chapel, and has a bold balustrade in front. Entrance is gained to the orchestra by a side door from one of the vestries. An organ is now being built by Messrs. Holt and Son, of Leeds. The pulpit, which is octagonal in form, stands within the communion railing immediately in front of the orchestra, and is approached from either side by a flight of steps, with a rail and balusters matching with those to the communion. The pew framing is panelled, with moulded mahogany capping and book‑boards, the backs and seats being slightly inclined; those appropriated as free sittings being similar to the others, with the exception of doors. The total number of sittings is 1150; 540 being in the galleries and 610 in the body of the chapel, 170 of the latter and 178 of the former being free. The whole of the internal woodwork is stained and varnished The chapel is heated with hot water, conveyed in wrought‑iron pipes, laid above the aisle, the heating apparatus being situated in a basement under the centre of the chapel. The general contractor for the building was Mr. Joseph Marsden, of Bridge‑street, Bolton, and the sub‑contractors as follows: - Stonework, Mr. James Ellis, Bridge‑street; brickwork, Mr. Lewis Brown, Brinks'‑brow; slating, Mr. Jonathan Marr, Church‑wharf; plumbing and glazing, Mr. Peter Rothwell, Church bank, all of Bolton; the plastering, painting, and staining, by Mr V T. H. Lomas, of Manchester. The heating apparatus has been executed by Messrs. Musgrave and Sons, Globe Iron Works; the gas fittings are by Messrs Taylor and Galloway, Bark‑street. As before stated, the body of the chapel, galleries, and orchestra, will be lighted by a centre principal and four minor sun‑lights suspended from the ceiling, the ornamentation of which will be in character with the architecture of the interior. These sun‑lights also form excellent mediums of ventilation. There will be neat and appropriate supplemental brackets for the purpose of lighting underneath the galleries. [Building News 28 June 1861 Page 541‑542]

Reference           Building News 28 June 1861 Page 541‑542