Westgate Methodist Chapel
Encyclopedia
Westgate Methodist Chapel stands on the A689 road
in the village of Westgate
, some 5 miles (8 km) west of Stanhope
, County Durham
, England . It is a redundant
chapel under the care of the Historic Chapels Trust, and has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
chapel. The area in which it stands, Weardale
, has a long history of Primitive Methodism, having been the site of a camp meeting in 1823. The first chapel in the village was built in 1824. The present chapel, built in 1871, was designed by George Race junior and a Mr Atkinson. It cost £1,300 (£ as of ), and was attached to the earlier chapel which then became a schoolroom. The chapel closed in 2007, and was acquired by the Historic Chapels Trust in late 2009.
and has Welsh
slate
roofs. It is in two storeys and has five bays
. There are two entrances on the south of the building, a single entrance in in the westernmost bay, and a paired entrance in the easternmost bay. The ground floor windows have square heads, and the upper floor windows are round-headed. Over the lower windows is a series of inscribed panels. To the east, and slightly set back, is the former schoolroom, which is also has two storeys, and is in three bays. The windows are similar to those in the chapel.
Internally, the pulpit
is at the west end. At the east end is an entrance lobby with two flights of stairs leading up to the gallery, which runs round all sides of the chapel. The gallery is carried on slim cast iron
Corinthian
columns that rise upwards to form an arcade
above. The body of the chapel and the gallery contain rows of pitch pine
pews. The organ is situated above the pulpit at the west end. It was built in about 1920 by Nelson & Co. of Durham, and has two manuals
. In front of the pulpit is a dais
surrounded by communion
rails. On each side of this are curved doors leading to vestries
with a store room between them. The ceiling contains coving with large panels
; it is decorated with stucco
leaves, cornice
s and roundels around the ventilators.
A689 road
The A689 is a road in northern England, that runs east from Junction 44 of the M6 motorway, north of the centre of Carlisle in Cumbria, to Hartlepool, in the North East....
in the village of Westgate
Westgate, County Durham
Westgate is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated in Weardale between St John's Chapel and Eastgate.Westgate is also the entrance to Slitt wood and an old abandoned lead mine. Other features of the village include a caravan site and a football and basketball court.-External links:...
, some 5 miles (8 km) west of Stanhope
Stanhope, County Durham
Stanhope is a small market town in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley on the north side of Weardale. The A689 trans-Pennine road meets the B6278 road from Barnard Castle to Shotley Bridge here....
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England . It is a redundant
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
chapel under the care of the Historic Chapels Trust, and has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building.
History
This was originally a Primitive MethodistPrimitive Methodism
Primitive Methodism was a major movement in English Methodism from about 1810 until the Methodist Union in 1932. The Primitive Methodist Church still exists in the United States.-Origins:...
chapel. The area in which it stands, Weardale
Weardale
Weardale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, in England. Large parts of Weardale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the second largest AONB in England and Wales. The upper valley is surrounded by high fells and heather grouse...
, has a long history of Primitive Methodism, having been the site of a camp meeting in 1823. The first chapel in the village was built in 1824. The present chapel, built in 1871, was designed by George Race junior and a Mr Atkinson. It cost £1,300 (£ as of ), and was attached to the earlier chapel which then became a schoolroom. The chapel closed in 2007, and was acquired by the Historic Chapels Trust in late 2009.
Architecture
The chapel is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and has Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. It is in two storeys and has five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
. There are two entrances on the south of the building, a single entrance in in the westernmost bay, and a paired entrance in the easternmost bay. The ground floor windows have square heads, and the upper floor windows are round-headed. Over the lower windows is a series of inscribed panels. To the east, and slightly set back, is the former schoolroom, which is also has two storeys, and is in three bays. The windows are similar to those in the chapel.
Internally, the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is at the west end. At the east end is an entrance lobby with two flights of stairs leading up to the gallery, which runs round all sides of the chapel. The gallery is carried on slim cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns that rise upwards to form an arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
above. The body of the chapel and the gallery contain rows of pitch pine
Pitch Pine
The Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida, is a small-to-medium sized pine, native to eastern North America. This species occasionally hybridizes with other pine species such as Loblolly Pine , Shortleaf Pine , and Pond Pine The Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida, is a small-to-medium sized (6-30 meters or 20-100 feet)...
pews. The organ is situated above the pulpit at the west end. It was built in about 1920 by Nelson & Co. of Durham, and has two manuals
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
. In front of the pulpit is a dais
Dais
Dais is any raised platform located either in or outside of a room or enclosure, often for dignified occupancy, as at the front of a lecture hall or sanctuary....
surrounded by communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
rails. On each side of this are curved doors leading to vestries
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
with a store room between them. The ceiling contains coving with large panels
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
; it is decorated with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
leaves, cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s and roundels around the ventilators.