Mount Tabor (Methodist) Chapel, Wellington Road South, Stockport

STOCKPORT - New Mount Tabor (Methodist) Chapel, Wellington-road South, has been opened. The Classic style has been adopted in the designs. The building is of brick, with stone dressings; the whole front elevation, however, is faced with Darley Dale stone. A Corinthian portico of four columns, approached by a flight of steps, extending the whole width of the building, forms the chief feature of the design. Within the portico are three principal entrances to the chapel. On each side of the portico are two tiers of windows, affording light to the staircase, and enriched with carved and moulded imposts. The length of the building, internally, is 73 ft., and the breadth 50 ft. A vestibule, entered from the portico, extends the whole width of the front, on ground-floor, having at the ends, staircases to the gallery. The vestibule communicates with two inner lobbies, and from thence to the aisles on the ground-floor. At the rear of the building, on the ground-floor, two large vestries, minister’s vestry, and a staircase for the children, communicating with basement, are arranged. The gallery is the whole length of the chapel, each side, extending over the vestibule in front, and the vestries at the back. The entire height of the chapel, from the ground-floor to the ceiling, is 34. ft. The accommodation is for about 900 persons. Beneath the chapel, on the basement, there is a school-room, 50 ft. by 44 ft., and 14 ft. high. A kitchen, store-rooms, rooms for warming apparatus, etc., are also provided on the basement. Messrs. Longson, builders, of this town, were the contractors for the whole of the works; and Mr. William Hill, of Leeds, was the architect. The lighting and ventilation have been executed by Mr. Harlow, Heaton Norris, under the instructions of Mr. Jacques, the gas-engineer, in this borough. The painting, staining, and varnishing have been done by Mr. Robert Chetham. [Builder 6 June 1868 page 418]

CEREMONIAL OF LAYING THE FOUNDATION-STONE OF THE NEW CHAPEL, STOCKPORT - A new chapel at Stockport has long been an object of sincere and intense desire. For a long time difficulties stood in the way of its accomplishment, but those difficulties have been overcome, and now, to the great joy of all our friends, there is every prospect of that important object being fully and speedily attained. The classic style of architecture has been adopted in the design for the chapel. The building will be of brick, with stone dressings: the whole of the front elevation, however, will be faced with wrought stone. A well-proportioned Corinthian portico, of four columns, approached by a noble flight of steps, extending the whole width of the building, forms the chief feature of the design. Within the portico are the three principal entrances to the chapel. On each side of the portico are two tiers of windows, giving light to the staircases, and enriched with carved and moulded imposts. The side elevations are divided into seven bays, the piers between each window being made to assume the form of broad pilasters, having moulded stone plinths and imposts; they are connected by semi-circular moulded stone archivolts, springing from the imposts, and forming the heads to the various windows. The length of the building, internally, is 73 feet, and the breadth 50 feet. A spacious vestibule, entered from the portico, extends the whole width of the front, on ground-floor, having at the ends stone staircases to the gallery. The vestibule communicates with two inner lobbies, and from thence to the aisles on the ground-floor. At the rear of the building, on the ground-floor, two large vestries, minister's vestry, and a staircase for the children, communicating with basement, are arranged. The gallery is the whole length of the chapel, extending over the vestibule in front, and the vestries at the back. The entire height of the chapel, from ground-floor to the ceiling, is 34 feet. The building will be well lighted and ventilated. The gallery windows will be enriched internally by moulded archivolts, and connected by moulded imposts. Above these windows is an enriched cornice, from which springs the cove to the ceiling. In the centre of the ceiling there will be a large and handsome centre-piece, having in the middle an elaborate fan-flower, from which will be suspended the star-lights which light the chapel. The accommodation is for about 900 persons. Beneath the chapel, on the basement, there will be a school-room, 50 feet by 44 feet, and 14 feet high, well lighted and ventilated. A kitchen, store-rooms, room for warming apparatus, etc., are also provided on the basement. The total cost of the building, exclusive of the cost of land, will be about £6,000. Messrs. Thackrah and Pierce, of Stockport, are the contractors for the whole of the works, and Mr. William Hill, of Leeds, is the architect.

"Methodist New Connexion, Wellington Road, South Stockport. The foundation-stone of this chapel, which supersedes the one erected in 1798, was laid by Ephraim Hallam, Esq., J.P., on Wednesday, October 25, 1865. Trustees: Mr. Ephraim Hallam, Mr. George Chapman, Mr. George Wild, Mr. Edward W. Makinson, Mr. Benjamin Johnson, Mr. John Waites, Mr. Charles Hulme, Mr. James Watts, Mr. Adam Gothard, Mr. James Fleming, Mr. George Thomas Barrow, Mr. George Bain, Mr. Robert Johnson, Mr. Thomas Brindley, Mr. David Fogg. Building Committee: Rev. W. Baggaly, Mr. Ephraim Hallam, Mr. George Chapman, Mr. George Wild, Mr. John Whitaker, Mr. Edward W. Makinson, Mr. Benjamin Johnson.— Architect, W. Hill, Esq., Leeds; contractors, Messrs. Thackrah and Pierce; Ministers of the Circuit, Rev. W. Baggaly (President of the Conference), W. D. Thompson, W. Mellor." [The Methodist new connexion magazine and evangelical repository, Volume 69]