Chapel And Crematorium At Whitley Bay Cemetery

1022/0/10040 THE LINKS 09-MAY-03 Chapel and Crematorium at Whitley Bay Cemetery

GV II*

Cemetery chapel and crematorium. Designed by Edward Cratney of Newcastle. 1913 with C20 alterations. Coursed blue/grey granite with ashlar dressings. Westmorland slate roofs with coped gables and kneelers. The main chapel has projecting tower with large double-canted arched doorway with moulded ashlar surround and elaborate oak double doors. Tower has angle buttresses and 3 louvred and flat-headed bell-openings to each face. Above a deep parapet with chamfered coping and single raised merlons at each corner. Tower is topped by octagon spire clad in copper sheeting with a tall finial. Entrance to tower flanked by single storey, flat-headed wings each with a pair of double-canted arched windows with moulded surrounds. Entrance to crematorium to right with similar double-canted archway. Side facade has three tall lancet windows with double-canted arched heads. Either side are cast iron drainpipes with elaborate lead rainwater heads inscribed 1913. Tall crematorium chimney extended late C20. INTERIOR of cemetery chapel has very fine quality Arts & Crafts style plaster decoration carried out by G P Bankart and similar style wooden fittings carried out by J P Bertram & Sons. Plaster decoration includes over-doors to main entrances on either side both with flanking angels in shallow relief holding banner inscribed "Watch for ye know not the hour" and "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh". Deeply moulded plaster cornice decorated with vines and grapes. Curved arched ceiling with rectangular panels divided by moulded plaster bands, the central section linking the flanking doors has pairs of angels and thicker and more elaborate bands decorated with lilies and peacocks. This more elaborate decoration continues over the ritual east end of the chapel. Dado panelling and wooden pews with rounded carved pew ends. G P Bankart (1866-1929) was one of the leading plasterers of the early twentieth century. He carried out much of the plasterwork on Cardiff City Hall and Law Courts by Lanchester, Stewart & Rickards. He was a prominent member of the Arts Worker's Guild who wrote important books on the subject; 'The Art of the Plasterer in England' (1908) and with his son G E Bankart 'Modern Plasterwork Construction' (1926) and 'Modern Plasterwork Design' (1927).