Crawshawbooth Quaker Meeting House

Crawshawbooth Quaker Meeting House

This Quaker Meeting House was built in 1716, with additions made in 1736 and 1793, and further alterations carried out in the twentieth century. It stands in its attached burial ground on the north side of Co-Operation Street, to the east of Limy Water.

The building is constructed of squared and coursed sandstone rubble with moulded stone window surrounds and a sandstone slate roof. It is L-shaped in plan, comprising a conjoined meeting house and dwelling house oriented east-west, with a lean-to extending from the north elevation on the west side.

The two principal units consist of a three-storey, single-bay, double-pile dwelling house (including the former stable) to the west, and the single-storey, four-bay main meeting house to the east. The meeting house has a low plinth to its front elevation and is built in narrow courses of watershot masonry, while the superstructure of the dwelling house is built in larger sandstone blocks. Both have gable roofs oriented east-west with sandstone slate roof coverings and ridge stacks to the eastern gables.

The front (south) elevation of the meeting house comprises, from right to left, two tall six-light windows with stone mullions and transoms lighting the main meeting room, followed by a small gabled porch. A three-light mullioned window lights the former women's business room, with a two-light mullioned window above lighting the gallery. The base of the meeting house wall is obscured by an external stone staircase that leads to the first-floor entrance of the dwelling house. Below the staircase is the opening to the former stable. The dwelling house staircase provides access to a projecting glazed porch with a shed roof. To the right of the porch, a large four-light window lights the front room on the first floor of the dwelling house, with a small four-light window above.

The west elevation comprises the gable end of the dwelling house overlooking Stoneholme Road and Limy Water, with two small windows to the upper storey and another to the north side lighting the ground floor. The rear elevation of the dwelling house is largely obscured by the single-storey lean-to, which is lit by small windows in its west wall and accessed by a doorway in its east wall up steps from the garden.

The rear (north) elevation of the main meeting house includes a three-light mullioned window lighting the former women's business room with a narrow three-light timber window above under the eaves lighting the gallery. To the left is a large six-light window with stone mullions and transoms lighting the main meeting room. The east elevation is blind.

Interior

The main meeting house is entered through the south porch. The entrance door leads into a small vestibule, from which a door opens into the main meeting room, while another door to the left gives access to the former women's business room.

The full-height main meeting room has a space for meeting for worship defined by a pair of benches with fixed backs facing east, standing either side of a central walkway. An off-centre chamfered post supports the flat ceiling. An Elders' Stand occupies the full width of the east wall, accessed via centrally-placed steps and an opening at each end. The Stand has two ranks of fixed benches. The raised rear benches have panelled backs, while the backs to the front benches are formed of the Stand's balustrade with stick balusters and newels having small ball finials, and shaped arm-rests. The north end of the Stand includes a book cupboard, formed out of a built-up window opening, with a panelled door. The walls are plainly plastered with a panelled dado and fixed benches to the north and south sides.

A stone staircase leading to the western gallery occupies the north-west corner of the main meeting room, in front of the partition to the former women's business room. The quarter-turn stair has a balustrade of stick balusters blocked with timber panels, a slender turned newel, and a handrail. The partition includes double shutters that can be dropped down from either side; they are in pine, grained to resemble oak. The gallery's balustrade above is formed of stick balusters with a plain rail.

The former women's business room below the gallery includes fixed benches to the south and west walls and a blocked fireplace in the west wall. Three east-west oriented chamfered beams in the ceiling support the gallery above. A door in the north-west corner leads into a small ancillary space and toilet facilities.

The former stable has a stone-flagged floor. Five east-west oriented chamfered beams, supported by later posts, support the dwelling house first floor above. The west wall includes some blocked openings, with later subdivisions to the rear.