Wesleyan Chapel, King Street, Pennington, Leigh

The Wesleyan chapel, in King street, erected in 1870—1871, at a cost of £11,000, is a building of stone in the Perpendicular style, from designs by Mr. C. O. Ellison, architect, of Liverpool, with a spire 150 feet high: the organ cost about £520: there are 1,000 sittings. [Builder 30 April 1870 Page 352]

Foundation     Stone laid Good Friday 15 April 1870
Opening         12 July 1871
Demolished    about 1972
Replaced        1974 with Kingsleigh Methodist Church, King Street, Leigh.

NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL FOR LEIGH. LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE. Yesterday afternoon, the foundation stone of a new chapel for the Wesleyan Methodists of Leigh, was laid by Mrs. James Hayes, of the Homestead, Pennington. For some years the old chapel has been inadequate to meet the wants of the Wesleyan denomination, and a project was set on foot in June last to obtain a more commodious edifice. The appeal was warmly responded to by some of the leading members of the body, and the trustees were soon enabled to purchase a site near the Town Hall, King Street. In the present chapel there are no pews to let and additional accommodation is required for Sunday and day schools. The day school has been carried on 24 years and has now has more scholars in attendance than at any former period, and continues under Government inspection, The Sunday school, which is one of the oldest in the neighbourhood, has been conducted fifty-four years with success. Tho erection of a new chapel will enable the trustees to appropriate the existing chapel to school purposes.

The design of the building is Gothic, in the early French style or period, consisting of a bold central gable in front, richly-traceried five-light with moulded and carved arch and label moulds, and the principal entrance underneath, with polished marble columns deeply cut, and carved arch and jamb moulds, and the head of the door-way filled in with carved tracery, and polished granite panel for inscriptions. This door will be approached by several wide steps; with ornamental lamps and standards at each end. The left of the gable is occupied by a staircase, having a doorway in the front, with triple window over, the end of the wing rising from square to octagon, with angle moulded cornice, pierced balustrade, pointed roof, ornamental cresting, finial, etc. To the right is an imposing tower and spire rising to the height of 150 feet, with massive moulded and carved buttresses at each angle, the lines carried up to the junction of the tower and spire, then terminating in handsome pinnacles with detached shafts, carved and moulded heads, etc., additional effect being gained by the introduction of windows, with projecting jambs, carrying, richly cusped canopy heads, and fill in with ornamental cut slate louvres, The four sides of the tower are filled in with triplet windows just below the cornice, and single windows with traceried heads and crocketed gable moulds, giving light to the staircase within, A porch projects to the right of the tower, and gives great weight and solidity to the base, whilst the doorway, fronting towards the Town Hali, will add much to the general perspective effect. The sides of the chapel are both divided into bays by buttresses with moulded fronts and heads, each bay containing a short window below and a larger one above, with handsome traceried heads, and gables, all these windows having three lights each (instead of two, as usual), so as to secure an unlimited amount of light. The whole of the work is to be executed in Yorkshire shoddies or parpoints, with dressing of Longridge stone, and the boundary walls will be built to. match, with massive pillars to each of the three gateways in King-street, and wrought-iron gates, railing, etc. The internal arrangements have also been the subject of thought, for whilst nothing appears to have been neglected that would give grace and beauty, everything has been added that would secure comfort ani convenience, and so far as can bs judged of by the drawings, the building will be a successful combination of the forms and proportions of the old style of chapel, with the more pleasing of Gothic at the same time avoiding the acoustic defects too common in buildings of this style. The chapel Is 55 feet wide, 66 feet long, and 40 feet to the highest art of the ceiling, with galleries four seats deep on three sides, and continued for children over the vestibules in front. The roof and galleries are alike supported by light iron columns, with decorated caps of wrought iron fixed in line with the recess over the vestibule as above, and the walls of the orchestra, so as to gain the effect of the length and take off from the great width of the building. From each of these columns the roof timbers rise in arches or carved ribs from one to the other, and across, so forming four spandrels over each, which spandrels are filled in with tracery. Over the above arches, which ran the full length of the chapel there is a moulded cornice, from which the centre ceiling springs, and is in three equal sides, panelled and moulded, and filled in with diagonal boarding throughout; the main timbers being stained dark, the ceiling left in its natural colour and varnished. The chancel, or in this case orchestra arch, is an opening of good proportions, 35 feet high with moulded jambs, arches moulded and carved, clustered serpentine shafts, with carved caps, bases, etc, in Caen stone, the ceiling in timber corresponding with the chapel. The orchestra front is in pitch pine, panelled and moulded with twisted brass shafts, carved caps, and bases, and brass corona for lighting, prepared also to carry the curtain, rod, book rails, etc. The windows throughout are to be filled with lead lights in various geometric patterns, and the vestibules tiled with best quality tiles, in three colours, laid to pattern. In addition to the chapel, there are five vestries and two cellars, with porch entries at the side, lavatories, heating apparatus, and everything complete. The tender of Messrs, Burroughs and Sons, Liverpool, has been accepted, and the works will be carried out under the superintendence of the architect, Mr. C. O. Ellison, of Liverpool. The cost is estimated at about £10,000. The purchase of the site, which was covered with property, has very materially increased the outlay, After making reasonable allowance for which will remain, it cannot be stated at less than £1,500, The trustees have themselves put in the foundation of the new chapel, The contract with the builders, Burroughs and Sons, Liverpool, is £5,544. The chapel is calculated to seat 960 persons, including ample provision for free sitting and accommodation for school children attending public worship. [Bolton Chronicle Saturday 16 April 1870 page 5]

OPENING OF A NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL AT LEIGH – One of the finest sanctuaries in this country in connection with the Wesleyan Methodists was opened at Leigh yesterday. …  In our description we will begin with the interior. The chapel proper is 66 feet long, 56 feet wide, and 44 feet the centre of ceiling, which is technically called " wagon headed." The effect of length is gained by the columns, which carry the galleries, going up to the roof, forming it, so to speak, into nave and aisles. These columns are of cast-iron, with wrought-iron foliated caps, elegantly decorated with blue, buff, crimson, and gold. Massive pitch pine roof timbers radiate from these caps, and support effective panelled ceiling, also of pitch pine, well varnished, and the angles perforated ornamentally to act ventilators into the air chambers above. The gallery is lightness itself, and quite free from the heaviness we had almost thought necessary erections of this kind. The front is well panelled and moulded; large brackets carry it from the beams below, and the top part is perforated with a light design filled in with crimson. What usually the chancel in Gothic churches is here used as the orchestra, the chancel effect being retained by finely proportioned arch, with richly cut mouldings, ornamented colour and gold, and carried upon six polished marble shafts and carved capitals. The lower part of the opening is occupied by the orchestra front, which is more elaborate than that of the galleries, and beautiful screen below, all of pitch pine, with decorated glass, and shafts twisted brass. The back or the chancel or orchestra is occupied by a fine rose window in stained glass, arranged so to be seen in connection with the organ, which is now being made. Altogether, the decoration this end the chapel is very and the text, " Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise," painted over the above arch, with coloured initials, is very appropriate. The fittings throughout are well-chosen pitch pine, the seat ends are carved, and boarding runs round the walls with ornamented top. The pews throughout are carpeted and cushioned in crimson. The pulpit, which is the gift of the architect, and has cost about £100, is white stone, richly panelled, moulded, and carved by Mr. Rogerson, sculptor, Liverpool, and has twelve marble shafts of various colours to match those under the chancel arch. The hangings, etc., are crimson velvet, and, together with the handsome pitch pine and velvet chairs each side, velvet communion cloth in front, crimson and gold, and the blue carpet covering the communion, give a central effect of great charm. The chapel is lighted by a magnificent five-light window in the front gable, and ten three-light windows on each side, half of them under the gallery having cusped heads, the others above the gallery being noble windows with different patterns of rich tracery in their heads. The whole of these windows being of stained glass, give richness of effect to the inside rarely equalled in chapels, and their execution does great credit to Messrs. E. and M. Holloway of Liverpool and Manchester, by whom they were made. The gas fittings and iron work, Brown and Downing, Birmingham, are real works of art, made in brass and iron, decorated with maroon, blue, Ac., and add greatly to the general effect. The entrances, like every other part, have received attentive care, ample being given, plenty light, wide doors, easy staircases, and hot water pipes are brought therein to warm the air before it enters the chapel. The chapel, vestries, corridors, etc. are heated with hot water by Mr Bramham of Liverpool, so arranged as to admit of all or part being used at pleasure. The front of the chapel is worthy of special notice. It has a fine central gable, filled in with the windows named, and under it an imposing entrance with deep sunk moulded and carved heads, polished granite shafts, carved capitals and on each side large, moulded stone blocks and handsome lamps. The left side is occupied by a staircase to galleries, having separate entrance, cusped windows, bold cornice and sunk blocking, pointed roof finished with an iron finial in maroon and gold. The right side is occupied by a tower and spire, about 150 feet total height, which will bear comparison with any of its size in the country. The tower is used as a gallery staircase, and the porch thereto adds much to the general effect. The outer walling is of stone to match the building and will, we are informed, be surmounted by wrought iron railing, the gate piers and gates only being up. The whole of the work has been carried out under the superintendence of the architect by Messrs Burroughs and Son s, joiners and Mr Leslie, mason, of Liverpool; and the committee are to be congratulated upon the finished slate of the premises for the opening services. The site of the edifice, including property to be taken down, has cost £2,040; the building itself, £7,325; new organ that is to be put into the chapel, £500; furnishing pews with cushions, carpets, etc, and for furnishing vestry, £330; altering old chapel into schools (including heating apparatus) £620; being a total outlay of £10,815. [Bolton Evening News - Thursday 13 July 1871 page 3]

Reference    Builder 30 April 1870 Page 352
Reference    Bolton Chronicle Saturday 16 April 1870 page 5
Reference    Bolton Evening News - Thursday 13 July 1871 page 3