Conisbrough Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

Conisbrough Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built in 1876 by the architectural firm J Moxen and Son of Barnsley. The building is constructed in orange pressed brick with sandstone dressings and a tiled roof, displaying Italianate styling.

The chapel follows a rectangular plan with a curved east end, rising through three full storeys of double-height chapel space with an upper gallery and lower ground floor, plus a partial basement at the east end.

The symmetrical west-facing front elevation onto Chapel Lane presents as two storeys and three bays. A broken triangular pediment crowns the slightly projecting central bay, with stone parapets flanking the outer bays. The elevation is predominantly orange brick laid in Flemish bond with a sandstone plinth, moulded sandstone impost bands to the windows, and a moulded entablature band with projecting eaves cornice flanking a brick frieze band. A stone band spans between ground and first floors—plain to the outer bays, moulded to the central bay above the paired doorways.

The central pair of round-headed doorways are accessed by a shared flight of three steps with iron side railings. Both feature stone voussoirs with giant keystones framing semi-circular fanlights, double doors of three vertical panels with glazing to the centre of each panel, moulded timber lintels, and segmental glazing bars to the fanlights. The outer bays each contain a ground-floor round-headed window with matching stone voussoirs, giant keystones, stone sills, semi-circular heads with segmental glazing bars, and small-pane glazing below. Between the doorways and first floor, a stone relief-carved plaque reads "WESLEY CHAPEL A.D. 1876" with red-coloured lettering. The first floor carries a central tripartite round-headed window with lower, narrower outer lights, single round-headed windows to the outer bays, all similarly detailed with stone voussoirs, giant keystones, and stone sill bands. At the apex of the broken pediment sits a small semi-circular window with projecting sill band on plain consoles, stone voussoirs, and a shaped giant keystone. The roof is hipped with a double-pitch to the rear of the triangular pediment which forms a gable.

The side elevations comprise four pier and panel bays, each with four round-headed windows on the ground and first floors, narrow bands of buff brick at window impost level, and a buff brick eaves band with shaped stone eaves brackets. The lower ground floor on both sides has square-headed windows with a lintel band of buff bricks. The left-hand bay of the north side contains a doorway rather than a window. The round-headed windows have timber cross-frames with plain semi-circular heads, some blind; the square-headed windows have timber cross-frames with rectangular lights over.

The curved rear wall steps back from the plane of the side walls and features a shallow projecting chimney stack at centre. The first floor has a single round-headed window on each side of the stack. The ground floor has two similar windows on each side, and the lower ground floor has one on each side. Beneath are blocked basement windows with flat-headed stone lintels. On the south side is a blocked round-headed doorway.

Interior

The chapel remains largely unaltered. A narrow full-width entrance lobby with two recessed double doorways opens into the chapel. The jambs and soffits have board panelling; the double doors feature three vertical panels each with diagonal and vertical board panelling. The north side contains a staircase to the gallery with mahogany balustrade featuring a heavy turned and moulded newel post and turned and moulded balusters. The south side has a doorway to the lower ground floor staircase with a simpler mahogany balustrade, turned newel post, and one side railing.

Within the chapel, the floor slopes gently towards the rostrum platform at the east end, which stands on a shallow semi-circular step. Three curved blocks of enclosed pews face the rostrum, separated by two narrow angled aisles from the two entrance doorways. The pews have curved backs of vertical pitch-pine board panelling with mahogany top boards incorporating prayer book shelves and circular mouldings. They are enclosed with individual doors off the aisles; side panels and doors feature inset alternating diagonal board panels forming a zig-zag pattern, topped with mahogany circular mouldings. Doors close with small circular brass catches.

The large rostrum platform is mahogany with round-headed panelling to the base and symmetrical curved staircases rising on either side to an enclosed seating area with projecting lectern. The staircases have turned mahogany newel posts and swept handrails with decorative iron balusters. The projecting semi-circular moulded lectern displays fluted pilasters and relief-carved foliate panels, with rectangular panelling to the enclosed seating. In front stands a semi-circular mahogany communion rail on decorative iron legs. The walls feature vertical boarded dados. The east wall behind the rostrum has two flanking doorways with moulded architraves and four-panelled doors. Above is a lozenge-shaped gallery supported on circular iron columns with Corinthian capitals, with panelled mahogany front containing an inset circular clock opposite the rostrum platform. The gallery has dais seating with a board panelling screen around the stair head. Two stained glass windows at the east end depict Christ as The Light of the World and as The Lamb of God.

The lower ground floor features three rows of circular cast-iron columns with plain moulded capitals supporting the chapel above. Stone steps in the south-east corner lead down to the partial basement.

The inserted kitchen on the lower ground floor, the lavatories at the east end of the lower ground floor and on the north-east side of the ground floor, and the low brick wall in front of the chapel forecourt (which has lost its original surmounting iron railings and central double gates) are excluded from the listing as not of special architectural or historic interest.