Wesleyan Methodist Church

Details

SX 45 NW TORPOINT QUARRY STREET, Torpoint

3/337 Wesleyan Methodist Church 18.3.86 II

Methodist Church. Dated 1795 on Quarry Street front, with extension dated 1908 on Fore Street front. There was considerable remodelling in the 1908 alterations, and a row of late C19 cottages was attached to he church on the Quarry Street side, used as schoolroom and meeting rooms. Rubble, rendered, slate roof with gable,ends. The Quarry Street cottages are in Devon limestone rubble with brick dressings and slate roofs, stacks removed. Entrance through vestibule under the gallery, to the auditorium; rostrum at opposite end. Vestry to rear right (east). The cottages extend to east along Quarry Street and form an overall U-plan. The Quarry Street front is on plinth, with rusticated pilasters and pediment. Central pair of recessed doors, both double doors, 2-panelled, with plain pilasters and plain frieze over. 2 windows at upper level, with round arches and eared architraves with triple keystones, triple aprons, each window of 2 lights with round- headed lights and upper roundel. Cornice and pediment, with central panel with moulded surround and guttae, inscription Wesleyan Chapel 1795. The Fore Street front has 4 bays to right of the C18 building and one bay to left of 1908. Bays to right have 2-light windows at ground floor, with round-headed lights and segmental head over, raised aprons; windows at upper level also 2-light with round heads, smaller than at ground floor, with segmental arch, eared architrave and triple keystone, moulded apron with guttae. Rusticated pilasters and moulded eaves cornice. The end bay to left is dated 1908, with plinth and rusticated pilasters, large round-headed window in shouldered architrave with triple keystone and plain apron. Pediment over with shield in scrolled surround with swags of fruit to each side. Windows lattice glazed. On the Quarry Street front, attached to right, row of 2 storey former cottages, with straight joint to end bay. 3 C20 windows at ground floor and door to left, all with brick segmental heads and surround, similar 4-pane sash at upper level to right, first floor has two 4-pane sashes in brick surrounds under eaves. The right side is in 2 blocks, both of 3 storeys on rendered plinth, 4 windows to left and 5 to right, all 4-pane and plate-glass sashes except 2nd floor to right, which has 2 large lattice-glazed windows with transoms. Roof hipped to right end and end wall rebuilt in brick at 2nd floor level. Interior The gallery over the vestibule is of the 1795 building, with panelled front on cast iron fluted piers with fluted capitals. All windows have roll-moulded surround with segmental head. Dado panelling, cornice over ground floor windows and moulded cornice to whole auditorium. At the opposite end from the gallery is the rostrum: this has a front in panels of cast iron, in fish-scale pattern, to right and left tiers of pews going to each side of the organ to rear of the rostrum; these pews also have a front panel in cast iron. To the rear of the organ, a round arch with pilasters to sides and keystone. Similar round arch to left, with triple keystone, and arch to right, with keystone and panelled soffit, pilasters to sides. This arch leads to the vestry, which has 2 small rooms leading off it. Straight stair to rear of vestibule leading to gallery. There is a line in the ceiling at the point where the church was extended in 1908. The row of cottages on the Quarry Street front was altered considerably in late C19/early C20, to form a schoolroom at ground floor and meeting rooms at first floor. The church is a prominent building in Torpoint. (Sources: Stell, C.: Nonconformist chapels RCHM)

Listing NGR: SX4400855202

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

61988

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Stell, C, An Inventory of Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting Houses in South West England, (1991)

End of official list entry

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