United Reformed Church

LANCASTER

SD4761NE HIGH STREET 1685-1/7/133 (East side) 22/12/53 United Reformed Church (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET Congregational Church)

GV II

Independent chapel, now United Reformed Church. 1774, probably at the expense of John Dawson of Aldcliffe Hall; enlarged and remodelled internally in 1833; altered C19 and C20. Sandstone ashlar, with ashlar dressings, and rubble at sides and rear. Slate roof. Roughly square plan: the original chapel, built on a north-south alignment, was doubled in size in 1833 by the addition of a rear extension at right angles on the east side, built over a basement. The west facade is a symmetrical composition of 2 storeys and 5 bays, with rusticated quoins, an eaves cornice, and coped gables. The ground-floor windows have stone surrounds with cambered heads: those in the second and fourth bays were restored in 1911 after alteration for use as doorways in 1833. The first-floor windows have stone surrounds with round heads, keystones, and impost blocks. All have C19 joinery replacing the original small-paned windows. The central doorway has a plain stone surround. Beneath the second window on the ground floor is a datestone inscribed '1772'. This was added c1872 to mark the centenary of the building of the church, but the date is now known to be incorrect. The rear gable wall has 4 tall round-headed windows. INTERIOR: fittings include a 3-sided gallery with box pews and with an organ at the west side, carried on iron columns. Against the east wall is a late C18 mahogany pulpit with a panelled front decorated with carved drops (said to be by Gillows), approached by a stair with open string, ramped handrail, and turned balusters.

Listing NGR: SD4756061505