Baptist Church

The Baptist Church, dated 1863, was built by Pritchett and Son of Darlington. It is constructed of coursed sandstone with sandstone ashlar quoins and architraves, an ashlar spire, and a slate roof.

The church features a 5-bay nave with galleried transepts, and a single-bay chancel and organ galleries above vestries, along with a two-stage south-west tower over a porch. Off-set buttresses are present at the east and west ends. Entrances are located at the west end, featuring double-glazed doors within a pointed-arched surround, and to the aisles on either side, with pointed plank doors and a single cusped light above. A quatrefoil is incorporated into the gable. The west window comprises five lights and decorative tracery. The aisles have mainly two-cusped-light windows with quatrefoils to the heads and transoms. Transepts feature two single-light windows to the lower stage and a four-light window to the upper stage. The east end incorporates two single lights and a rose window at the apex. The tower has battered sides to the lower stage, a quatrefoil window, and a pair of belfry openings with decorative tracery to each side of the upper stage. An octagonal spire is topped with decorative bands.

All openings are framed by double-chamfered surrounds with hoodmoulds, utilising alternating dressed and undressed voussoirs; the hoodmoulds to the west end have face stops.

Inside, the aisles are characterized by slender cast-iron pilasters with foliate caps and a pointed-arched timber arcade. A central pulpit is located at the east end, with an organ loft to the east and galleries to the west and transepts having blind arcades to their balustrades. The roof is ribbed and panelled. A foundation stone at the east end bears the inscription: 'This stone was laid by Mrs E B Evans of Whitbourne Hall July 28 1863'.

This is a fine example of a robust Gothic Revival style for a nonconformist church, with an unusually well-designed interior that, while conventionally planned for the 19th century, demonstrates a high level of detailing.