Details
ISLINGTON
TQ3282SE CITY ROAD
635-1/76/265 (East side)
29/12/50 Wesley's Chapel
GV I
Methodist chapel; 'The Mother Church of World Methodism'.
1777-1778; the portico 1814-15; the rusticated piers, qoins,
cornice to the outer bays, and stone architraves to the upper
windows of 1891 by Elijah Hoole; the single-storey wings to
either side probably of 1899 by Hoole. Brown brick laid in
Flemish bond with dressings of yellow brick and stone, portico
of stone, hipped roof of Welsh slate. Two storeys, five-window
range. Central prostyle portico with coupled Greek Doric
columns to either side, entablature with triglyph frieze and
paterae modelled with the dove of peace; modified pediment to
blocking course. The main facade is articulated by a slightly
projecting centrepiece of three bays with broad rusticated
piers to ground floor and chamfered quoins above; and by
rusticated piers to the outside of the outer bays.
Round-arched windows to both floors, those to ground floor
with gauged brick heads and set in recessed, round-arched
panels also with gauged brick heads; brick storey band. Upper
windows round-arched with stone architraves, panelled aprons;
stone cornice, fluted over the centrepiece; panelled parapet
with stepped coping; hipped roof. Each side wing has a
flat-arched entrance with architrave and cornice on consoles,
double panelled doors, stone panel above, string course,
cornice and parapet. Side walls and east end of brown brick,
apse of stone.
INTERIOR: : a single space originally, with the westernmost
bay glazed off c.1975; shallow curved apse flanked by
Corinthian columns, the round arch with panelled and
ornamented soffit and floral decoration to the spandrels;
reredos of three panels with fluted engaged columns and
pilasters, and central open pediment. Gallery on three sides,
curved at the west end, carried on Roman Doric columns of
jasper, dating from 1899, with triglyph frieze and paterae
modelled with the dove of peace; Greek key pattern to the
gallery. Some of the original wooden columns are ranged along
the west wall. Flat ceiling enriched with decorative
plasterwork, a replica of the original destroyed by fire in
1879: central circular panel surrounded by rectangular panels
and decorated with anthemion and acanthus ornament and
Vitruvian scrolls. Fine mahogany panelled pulpit on an arcaded
base with engaged and fluted columns at the corners: the
pulpit being the top stage of the original three-decker. Oak
pews throughout with openwork roundels in the pew ends, 1899.
Much C19 and C20 stained glass, notably the second window from
the east in the south wall, by Frank O. Salisbury, 1930; the
two windows flanking the west door, 'Sir Galahad', and 'Elijah
on Mount Carmel', by Frank O.Salisbury, 1932 and 1934
respectively; 'Saint John', at the east end of the north
gallery, by Henry Holiday, 1900; and the two gallery windows
in the north wall, 'The Wesleys' conversion', by James Powell
and Sons, 1924, and 'John Wesley preaching' by Osborne and
Philips, 1947. The interior of the Founder's Chapel, which is
dated 1899 and much restored, is a single space with panelled
dado, architraves to doors and windows, coved and panelled
ceiling with central lantern, arched alcove to north, and
chimneypiece with Art Nouveau detail, possibly inserted.
(Information from Philip Temple, Survey of London).
Listing NGR: TQ3281082253
