Hertford Baptist Church, Church Hall And Attached Railings

Hertford Baptist Church, Church Hall and Attached Railings

Non-conformist church with attached hall and perimeter railings, built 1905–6. Designed by architects George Baines and Son, constructed by F Wood of Luton.

The church is constructed of red engineering brick laid in Flemish bond with black pointing, set beneath a Welsh slate roof with step-profile red clay ridge tiles. Detailing includes stone bands, dressings, windows and cupolas. The eaves are open with cut profiled rafter ends and gutters supported on pairs of wrought-iron scrolls.

The style is Perpendicular Gothic revival with Arts and Crafts overtones. The plan follows a 'hall' type with a shallow projection at the north end for the organ chamber.

The south front, which faces Cowbridge, is dominated by a gabled elevation with a stone-coped gable. A broad seven-light stone window with segmental head features trefoil and cinquefoil tracery between mullions. Attached to left and right are battered octagonal turrets with stone cupolas, modillioned eaves and low ogee lead roll roofs topped with tall iron finials bearing circlets and scrollwork. A stone band runs immediately below the window and above a central projecting porch.

The porch has splayed sides with single-light stone windows. The central doorway has splayed reveals and a roll moulded segmentally arched head. Multi-panel half-glazed twin leaf doors are fitted. Above the doorway the porch coping upswells to enclose a heart-shaped tracery motif of twin mouchettes and a circle.

The east and west elevations comprise four bays, with two northern bays projecting beneath separate gabled roofs. Two small three-light and two large four-light windows feature rectilinear tracery and four-centred arched heads. Stone bands run at sill level and springing level.

The interior comprises a 'hall' church of four bays with two bays forming 'aisled transepts' at the north. The floor slopes towards a curved central communion and baptismal area, with a raised pulpit and deacons' seats positioned centrally. The windows are fitted with leaded glazing containing mainly rectangular panes of obscured glass decorated with stylised flowers, foliage, fleur-de-lys motifs and 'S' curves influenced by the Glasgow School, in coloured and obscured glass representing Arts and Crafts design principles. Walls are finished with stained pitch-pine boarded dado with moulded rail.

The roof structure comprises two bays of hammer beam trusses with corbel supports and broad arch braces strengthened with iron tie rods and wrought-iron scrolls. Three levels of purlins sit above a central flat plaster ceiling with a square pierced ventilator panel in each bay. The two 'aisle' transept bays feature arch braces carried on corbels, supported by free-standing central columns which also carry hammer beam trusses supporting the transept roof ridges. At the north end a roll moulded four-centred arch is carried on stone capitals carved with oak leaves and acorns above marble colonnettes and carved stone leaf and flower corbels.

The foyer contains a stained pitch-pine leaded light glazed screen with leaf and stylised flower motifs, and double leaf doors with leaded glazing and cinquefoil heads opening into the main church. Banks of seats are curved on plan and separated by two aisles, with curved returns around the sides in the broader northern bays. Oak bench ends bear continuous moulding around armrests and over the top, featuring a typical Arts and Crafts pierced heart motif.

The pulpit stands at the centre of the communion dais on a half-octagonal plan. Its oak-panelled front displays mouchettes and trefoils tracery. A projecting flat top rail sits between attenuated pilasters which continue upwards with indented heart motifs incorporating blue-green enamel inserts and flattened cyma recta caps. A raised reading desk is supported on brass brackets. Stairs to the pulpit feature oak handrails on cut strings with square brass balusters and foliated scrollwork.

The moveable table and deacons' chairs are of light oak with column legs; the table has panelled ends and the chairs have panelled backs. Choir seats are finished with panelled pine frontal bearing moulded tracery with cinquefoil heads and plain pierced mouchettes above, with newels topped by obelisks and embattled surrounds. The Gothic-style organ case comprises oak panelling with trefoil heads and display pipework above the console.

A rebuilt foyer and kitchen to the rear are noted as not being of special interest.

The attached contemporary church hall stands to the north-west.

Cast-iron railings with curved braced supports at intervals run around the western boundary where Cowbridge turns into Port Hill. The railings feature arches over spearheads and scroll and spade ties.