Lytham Methodist Chapel

SD3627SE 621-1/6/78

LYTHAM ST ANNES Lytham PARK STREET (West side) Lytham Methodist Church

GV II Methodist church. Dated 1868 over entrance; altered c.1900, restored internally 1963. Brick carcass with sandstone ashlar facade including some painted stucco, slate roof. Rectangular plan at right-angles to street, with apse at west end flanked by vestry and organ chamber. Classical style. Two storeys and 5 bays, symmetrical, with a giant Corinthian order forming pilasters to slightly projected outer bays (which contain staircases) and a 3-bay colonnaded screen to the centre (which forms a recessed porch, approached by six steps), the whole with a moulded entablature including a dentilled and modillioned cornice with balustraded parapet over the centre and Baroque upstands over the outer bays, and urns on both. The stuccoed interior of the centre has a C20 canted porch in the centre and a large rectangular stone plaque above this inscribed "WESLEY CHAPEL/ 1868", flanked by windows with shouldered architraves and triple keystones at ground floor and round-headed windows with keyed and shouldered architraves at 1st floor; and each side wall has a doorway with moulded architrave and a cornice on consoles. The outer bays have windows with pedimented architraves at ground floor, and round-headed windows at 1st floor with keyed architraves and run-out imposts. All these windows have early C20 joinery and stained glass. The first bay of each side wall is similar to the front but with coupled round-headed windows at first floor; beyond that the south side is of red brick, 5 bays, with pilasters, and later additions to the last 2 bays; the north side is mostly covered by later additions, including a link to the attached Lecture Hall.

INTERIOR (restored and slightly altered after dry rot in 1963): giant Corinthian pilasters with simplified entablature (replacing former prominent cornice), with wider 5th bay as round-headed blank arch containing Venetian window; centre of this bay formerly covered by a dome; gallery at east end.

Forms group with Methodist Lecture Hall attached at right-hand side (q.v.).

Listing NGR: SD3653627276