Wesleyan Day And Sunday School

Wesleyan Day and Sunday School

This Wesleyan school on Wesley Street in Tottington was designed by E Simpkin of Bury and dated 1868, with early 20th-century internal alterations. It is built of coursed gritstone laid in diminishing courses with an ashlar plinth, corner pilasters to the front, and rear quoins. The roof is grey slate with gable copings and a 3-flue stack at the south end of the ridge.

The building is two storeys over a basement with a 4 by 7 window arrangement in classical style. The plan comprises a central corridor with small rooms off it and a large open hall on the upper floor. The entrance front faces north with a single-storey porch featuring a moulded round-arched entrance, paired 6-panel doors, corner pilasters, moulded eaves and blocking course, and a flat roof. Throughout the building the fenestration consists of 6- and 8-pane sashes, with the upper floor windows taller than those to the ground floor. Windows have segmental keyed arches and moulded keyed architraves to the front, with plain keyed surrounds to the side and rear.

The front pedimented gable displays a date stone with raised lettering reading "WESLEYAN METHODIST / DAY & SUNDAY / SCHOOLS / 1868". Moulded stone eaves extend along the left and right returns, terminating at the rear corners. The rear facade contains a doorway on the left with a plain surround and overlight, and an inserted doorway at upper floor left (circa 1925) that probably led to an external fire escape. The basement access on the ground floor right features cast iron railings and gate with spearhead finials and moulded standards, approached by a straight flight of stone steps down to a doorway with plain surround. Two low windows on the left return that formerly lit the basement have been covered.

Internally, an inner pair of half-glazed 4-panel double doors opens into the stair lobby, with stairs to the upper floor at each side and moulded wooden handrails on scrolled brackets. The central corridor runs the length of the building to a full-width room at the south end. Four doorways and 4-pane catch-light windows along each side of the corridor mark the positions of small classrooms and storerooms. The south room, used as an infants' classroom, has a round-arched doorway with a coat of arms painted on the overlight. Its ceiling is supported by two fluted cast iron columns with Corinthian capitals. The position of two covered fireplaces on the south wall is indicated by stone hearth slabs. A southeast corner cupboard and an early 20th-century inserted staircase against the west end are also present. The main stairs at the north end turn through 90 degrees and open into lobbies serving the upper hall, which has a stage built at its south end, probably circa 1925. The upper hall features moulded wooden reveals and architraves to the windows and plain cross beams. On the east wall a white marble plaque commemorates William Hoyle, who died 26 February 1886 and worked as a class leader, steward, trustee and day school manager. On the west wall a brass plaque records William Henry Stanton, who died 8 May 1912 and served as music teacher, choir master, organist of the adjoining church, class leader and trustee of the school.

The school was established as a result of the enterprise of James Hoyle and his son William, ardent supporters of the Methodist movement who built a factory adjacent to the Methodist chapel in Tottington in 1859. William Hoyle, described as a benevolent dictator, provided employment and education for many villagers over a 70-year period. The Hoyles were influential in setting up a day school initially in the chapel vestry, which moved by 1867 to a room over the boilers at Hoyle's Springs Mill. The new school building was opened in 1869. The foundation stone was laid on 16 May 1868 by James Barlow, Mayor of Bolton, and the building cost £2,800.