Park Methodist Church

MIDDLESBROUGH LINTHORPE. ROAD, NZ 41 NE (4919) west side. 3/51 Park Methodist Church. G.V. II Wesleyan church 1903/05 by W.J. Morley & Son (Bradford). Red brick with painted terracotta dressings. Welsh slate roofs; copper-domed north-west tower. Disoriented, terms used are ritual. North-west and south-west towers, nave with transepts, short blank recessed chancel and north-east vestry. Italianate. 3-stage north-west tower has clasping pilasters, paired Ionic on 3rd stage. Continuous entablatures between stages. Panelled double doors and fanlight in classical surround with enriched spandrels, in west face. 2nd stage has paired round-headed windows, with quasi-Composite columns, panelled approns and keyed archivolts. Round-headed windows,in 3rd stage, have balustraded aprons and rusticated archivolts. Metal casements with glazing bars. Balustraded parapet, and recessed octagonal cupola with panels and blocked similar windows in alternate faces. Cornice, dome, and ball-and-spike finial. Similar 2-stage south-west tower with conical roof; ball-on-stem finials at angles of parapet. 2-storey, 3-bay west end of nave. Wide slightly-projecting pedimented centre has 3 windows in Ionic surrounds under Venetian window with balustraded aprons and enriched spandrels with escutcheons dated 1904. Enriched tympanum. Flanking bays have windows in moulded surrounds. 4-bay nave and open-pedimented 2-bay transepts have round-headed windows with keyed archivolts, impost and sill strings. Enriched tablets in classical surrounds in tympana of transepts. Hip-roofed vestry. INTERIOR: enriched plaster chancel arch and panelled ceiling. Deep coved cornices. Tessellated floor with cross medallions in entrance lobby. West gallery has raked seating and carved panelled front. Wainscot to sill height. 6-panel doors in wood architraves. Slightly raked nave seating: panelled benches with brass and iron umbrella stands on shaped ends. Chancel has organ with panelled case, behind choir gallery with panelled front. Towers have open-well staircases with turned balusters, newels with ball finials, moulded handrails and closed strings. Remains of church school adjoining south-east corner, too much altered to be of special interest. Occupies important corner site prominent in views along Linthorpe Road.

Listing NGR: NZ4914319185