Unitarian Chapel

BURY ST EDMUNDS

TL8564SW CHURCHGATE STREET 639-1/14/262 (North side) 07/08/52 Unitarian Chapel (Formerly Listed as: CHURCHGATE STREET (North side) Pentecostal Church)

GV I

Former Unitarian Chapel, originally built as a Presbyterian Chapel. 1711. In red brick laid in English bond with a fully hipped plaintiled roof. EXTERIOR: single-storey, with a moulded brick cornice and a parapet with a cornice and moulded brick panels. The centre panel is arched and has a sundial in a circular moulded brick frame. 4 brick pilasters across the front, 2 enclosing the central doorway, which has a cornice and broken elliptical pediment above. Double 10-panel doors. Above the doorway an elliptical lunette with original lead glazing and a rubbed brick surround with 4 stone keys carved with acanthus leaf ornamentation. The entry is flanked by 2 semicircular-headed windows to the full height of the storey in semicircular brick arched recesses with carved brick keystones and moulded stucco sills; moulded and enriched stone-framed brick panels beneath. The windows have heavy wooden frames, semicircular gauged arches to surrounds, semicircular arched mullions and lead glazing. Brick plinth with stone mouldings. The side elevations each have 2 tiers of windows. On the upper storey 3 windows with semicircular heads and keystones and square-leaded 2-light casements with radiating glazing-bars to the heads. On the ground storey, 3 cross windows with pintle hinges to the opening upper lights. INTERIOR: typical interior, galleried on 3 sides, with a central pillar supporting the roof. All the woodwork and fittings are of very high quality. Side galleries in 3 bays and rear gallery in 2 bays supported by moulded timber columns: the gallery fronts treated like a form of entablature with a moulded cornice and architrave and a frieze with heavy raised panels. Twin stairs to the rear of the gallery with vase-on-reel balusters, square newels and moulded handrails. Against the south windows on the inner side of the stairs are panels of scrolled ironwork, set diagonally. High panelled central pulpit with sounding board at the north end, approached by a

curved stair with barley-sugar twist balusters and moulded handrails. A dado round the walls with sunk panels. Ornate window latches. Wrought-iron hinges to the outer doors. (BOE: Pevsner N: Radcliffe E: Suffolk: London: 1974-: 145).

Listing NGR: TL8536764057