Oakham Quaker Meeting House

Quaker meeting house. 1719, repaired in 1806 and with later alterations including refurbishment in 2016.

MATERIALS: ironstone, Collyweston slate roof coverings.

PLAN: the single-storey meeting house is rectangular on plan, oriented east-west with a pitched roof including a ridge stack to the west gable.

EXTERIOR: Oakham Quaker Meeting House stands towards the south end of Gaol Lane at the junction with South Street, on a walled plot entered from the south. It is to the north-east of the Grade II-listed C18 barn at the rear of Number 64 High Street.

The meeting house is built in coursed ironstone. It has a pitched roof with Collyweston slate roof coverings. The ridge stack for the building’s sole fireplace is to the west gable. The main (south) elevation in three bays comprises a centrally-placed entrance doorway with a rectangular two-light fanlight, and a casement window to each bay either side. The six-light casements include awning windows. Each opening has a thin timber lintel and the casement windows have narrow sills. The other elevations are blind. The east gable, facing onto Gaol Lane, includes a date stone inscribed RH 1719.

INTERIOR: the meeting house comprises one single-storey space. The meeting room is entered through a double-leaf door to the south elevation. The plainly plastered room has a painted timber wainscot with a moulded dado rail, the ceiling is plaster laid on reed. The wainscot incorporates fixed benches to each wall. The fireplace to the centre of the west wall has a tiled surround and simple timber mantle-shelf carried on timber brackets. The Elders’ stand occupies the east wall, entered from either end.