Wesleyan Church, Chorley Old Road, Bolton

The Wesleyan Church, Chorley Old Road, Bolton. Church seats 650 on the ground floor, with possible future galleries for another 200. Ruabon red bricks, with Yorkshire stone dressings. Domes of concrete, with steel ribs embedded. Cost, £6,000.     The architects are Messrs. Potts, Son, and Hennings, of Manchester. [Building News 15 April 1904 page 549]

NEW WESLEYAN CHURCH, CHORLEY OLD ROAD. The foundation stones will be laid to-morrow afternoon of a new church adjoining the present on Chorley Old Road. In the design the aim has been to secure a building thoroughly the needs of the congregation and suitable to the form of service usual in the Wesleyan Church. approximation the Greek Cress style plan has been adopted—that is. with four practically equal arms for the pewed space, an arm being lengthened for entrances and vestibules. This plan has also the additional advantage of massing the congregation together instead dividing it into three, as is the case with the usual transeptal arrangement. As the width the four arms inside is 38 feet, and pillars felt to be undesirable, the roofing needed serious consideration. The style was in a measure restricted by that of the adjoining school, and a barrel vault was the natural form of ceiling. But this class of vaults simply intersecting the crossing are bald and uninteresting, and it was determined to add to the interest and importance of both the interior and exterior by placing a dome at the intersection, of a flat saucer type, carried down by pendentives. On this dome will be a massive turret, open to the interior, giving an eye of light at the apex and preventing the gloomy appearance of a closed-in dome. Two low towers at the front containing the gallery entrances and staircases will also be roofed with shallow domes, echoing the note struck the central feature. The choir will be in stalls on a spacious platform raised 3 feet above the floor of the church. The rostrum will be in the centre, coming forward from the choir, and the organ in a recess at the back. It believed that this arrangement will work well for the leading the singing without making the members the choir too conspicuous and will equally good whether side galleries are put in or not. The minister’s vestry and choir vestries will communicate directly with the choir platform, as well the steps from church at either side of the rostrum. The front entrances have been carefully studied and will not be of the cramped nature so often seen. The outer doors open upon narthex 25 feet by 6 feet, and doors from this into an inner vestibule 25 feet 8 feet. The gallery entrances are separate from those on the ground floor, thus preventing the crowding the two sets of people meeting in the doorways. The length of the building is 100 feet, and the outside width 65 feet. The dome inside will rise to a height of 50 feet from the floor, and the top of the turret 65 feet. The accommodation, including an end gallery which will be put in now, will be 650. and side galleries which could be put later without structural alterations would bring it up to about 850. The interior woodwork will be pitch-pine, the aisles are be concreted and tiled, and the ceiling plastered. The outside materials are red Ruabon brick and Yorkshire stone. The windows will of leaded glass in plain clear squares. The contract has been let to Messrs. J. H. and G. Marsden. The architects are Messrs Potts, Son and Hennings, FRIBA. [Bolton Evening News - Friday 18 July 1902 page 2]

CHORLEY OLD ROAD WESLEYAN CHURCH - The following an architectural description of the new Wesley Church, Chorley Old Road, to be opened to-morrow afternoon and evening; “The aim has been to secure a building thoroughly adapted to the needs of the congregation and suitable to the form of service usual in the Wesleyan Church. Preaching forms such an important part of this service that in an ideal plan for the purpose, the bulk of the congregation should be immediately round the speaker, all should be able to both see and hear without any difficulties of intervening pillars. To realise these aims approximation of the Greek Cross style of plan has been adopted, that is, with four practically equal arms for the pewed space. As the width the four arms inside is 38 feet, and pillars were felt to be undesirable, the roofing needed serious consideration. To add to the interest and importance of both interior and exterior, a dome has been placed at the intersection, of a flat saucer type, carried down by pendentives to the springing line of the barrel vaults. On this dome is a massive turret which will open to the interior, giving an eye of light at the apex and preventing the gloomy appearance of a closed-in dome. Two low towers at the front containing the entrances and staircases the projected galleries, are roofed with shallow domes. The choir stalls are on spacious platform raised three feet above the floor of the church. The rostrum is in the centre. coming forward from the choir, and the organ is in a recess at the back. The front entrances have been carefully studied and will not be the cramped nature often seen. The outer doors open upon narthex 25 feet by 6 feet, and doors from this into an inner vestibule 25 feet by 8 feet. The length of the building is 100 feet, and the outside width is 65 feet. The dome inside rises to a height of 50 feet from the floor, and the top the turret 65 feet. The accommodation including end gallery, which is not yet erected, will be 650, and a side gallery which could be put in later without structural alterations would bring it up to about 850. The interior woodwork is pitch pine. The outside materials are red Ruabon brick and Yorkshire stone, and the windows are leaded glass in plain clear squares. The contractors were Messrs. J. H. and G. Marsden. and the architects Messrs. Potts. Son. and Hennings, [Bolton Evening News Tuesday 10 November 1903 page 3]

Reference    Building News 15 April 1904 page 549
Reference    Bolton Evening News - Friday 18 July 1902 page 2
Reference    Bolton Evening News Tuesday 10 November 1903 page 3