Earls Colne Quaker Meeting House

Quaker Meeting House. Built in about 1733 with alterations principally of the C19 and 1986-1987.

MATERIALS: red brick with some burnt headers laid to Flemish bond, with clay tile roof coverings.

PLAN: the meeting house is a single-storey building, square on plan, with a pavilion roof. To the north, a short glazed link leads to the single-storey extension, rectangular on plan, with a hipped roof.

EXTERIOR: the meeting house is situated in the Quaker burial ground on Burrows Road. The main (west) front comprises three bays. To the centre, the former door opening with a segmental head now comprises a large lattice window of nine lights which includes six upper smaller lights above the transoms and three larger lights below. To either side are similar lattice windows of six lights. These windows have raised sills over the once larger bricked-up openings below.

The meeting house south elevation is blind, whilst the east elevation includes to the centre the bricked-up former entrance with a window to either side. The north elevation includes to the centre the glazed link to the extension. The extension’s east and west walls are blind, with fixed lettering to the west wall reading QUAKER/ MEETING/ HOUSE. The north elevation, facing into the burial ground, comprises a full-height window of four lights to the left, and three small windows with brick sills to the right.

The meeting house has a pavilion roof covered with clay tiles. The glazed link has a pitched roof which is part-glazed and part-tiled, whilst the extension has a hipped roof covered with clay tiles.

INTERIOR: the meeting house comprises a single space entered through a double-leaf door with timber surround to the north. The north wall includes recent cupboards and shelving. The central space has no interior divisions, but two chamfered timber columns support the flat ceiling which conceals the loft gallery above. The Elders’ stand occupies the full length of the south wall. The stand is entered from the west end up a short stair of three steps with a turned newel post and moulded handrail, stick balusters and a closed string. The stand has a horizontally boarded dado, a panelled front with a moulded handrail, and fixed seating.

The modern extension to the north includes toilets, a kitchen and committee room.