Huntingdon Hall

Huntingdon Hall

Chapel, now concert hall. Built 1804 and enlarged 1815 for the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion. The building was restored and converted to a concert hall and arts centre by the City of Worcester Building Preservation Trust and reopened in 1987.

The structure adopts a T-shaped plan with the original western block constructed of pinkish-brown brick laid in English Garden Wall bond, featuring renewed stone sills and a hipped plain tile roof. The eastern range is of brick with a painted stucco front facade scored to imitate ashlar and a concealed roof. An ovoid range extends to the east, incorporating full-height bows to both front and rear elevations. The building rises to a single tall storey with a 1:1:1:3 fenestration pattern.

The left range features a central entrance within a bow, accessed via double sixteen-raised-and-fielded-panel doors set in a Roman Doric porch with columnar reveals, dentil frieze with incised Greek fret, and modillion cornice. Either side of the entrance stands a tall round-arched sash window with 48/72 panes and radial glazing bars to the head, curved in section and set within plain, stepped reveals. A frieze and ovolo-moulded cornice run across the facade beneath a low coped parapet.

The right range features a lower stage with three 24-pane fixed light windows in near-flush frames with renewed sills, set beneath segmental arches. Above each sits a round-arched 24/24 replacement fixed light window in a near-flush frame with round arches of gauged brick. A cogged eaves band marks the transition to the upper stage.

The rear of the west range mirrors the front facade. A further entrance on the west return comprises double panelled doors. The left return displays two round-arched 30/18 fixed-light windows with radial glazing bars to the heads and stepped reveals beneath renewed arches. The bow to the rear contains two 30/36 round-arched sashes curved on section, with radial glazing bars to the head and a stepped band below. The right return projects a three-quarter-height porch with double panelled doors set in a segmental-arched surround featuring a plain arch on imposts with a keystone. Above this is an 18-light window and an inscription plaque on corbels reading "The Countess of Huntingdon's Hall". To the right, steps lead to a gallery entrance with a six-flush-beaded-panel door in a similar surround. Round-arched multi-pane windows flank the main entrance.

The interior represents a fine and largely intact survival of its type. The ovoid block forming the east end is divided from the main block by three arches carried on cast-iron cluster columns and corbels to responds; the outer arches are four-centred while the central arch is cambered. A panelled gallery supported on slender cast-iron column-clusters runs the full circuit and curves around the bows. Panelled box pews occupy the lower stage, with stepped benches featuring panelled backs at gallery level. The dado displays raised-and-fielded panelling to the lower stage and sunk panels to the upper stage. At the west end stands a part-glazed screen with a clock positioned in front of the gallery.

The east end features an organ with four towers of pipes, before which stands a pulpit mounted on four fluted Doric columns. Twin staircases with ornate cast-iron balusters and wreathed handrails, carved tread ends, flank the pulpit. Two eagle lecterns and ornate cast-iron communion rails are present. Four-panel doors provide access. Original stairs curve around the east bows with a curved mahogany handrail. The upper stage carries two boards recording benefactions. The east end contains two stained glass windows, with additional stained glass panels elsewhere. Quatrefoil inscription tablets ornament the east end. A plain ceiling incorporates oval and circular Adam-style ventilating grilles. Several marble wall tablets, chiefly dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are affixed throughout.

Lady Huntingdon visited Worcester in 1769, at which time her Connexion numbered 200 followers. The hall forms one unit with No. 16 Deansway.