Unitarian Chapel

This is a former Unitarian Chapel, originally built as a Presbyterian Chapel in 1711. It is constructed of red brick in English bond with a fully hipped plaintiled roof. The exterior features a moulded brick cornice and a parapet with moulded brick panels; the central panel is arched and incorporates a sundial within a circular moulded brick frame. The central doorway has a cornice and broken elliptical pediment. Double 10-panel doors lead into the building. Above the doorway is an elliptical lunette with original lead glazing set within a rubbed brick surround, featuring four stone keys carved with acanthus leaf ornamentation. Flanking the doorway are two semicircular-headed windows, each with semicircular brick arched recesses, carved brick keystones, and moulded stucco sills. The windows have heavy wooden frames, semicircular gauged arches to surrounds, semicircular arched mullions and lead glazing. A brick plinth is finished with stone mouldings. The side elevations each have two tiers of windows. The upper storey windows are semicircular-headed with keystones and square-leaded 2-light casements with radiating glazing-bars to their heads. The ground storey windows are cross windows with pintle hinges to the upper lights.

The interior is typical of a chapel with galleries on three sides and a central pillar supporting the roof. The woodwork and fittings are of high quality. Galleries are provided in three bays on each side and two bays at the rear, supported by moulded timber columns. The gallery fronts are treated as an entablature with a moulded cornice, architrave, and a frieze with raised panels. Twin staircases to the rear of the gallery have vase-on-reel balusters, square newels, and moulded handrails. Decorative scrolled ironwork panels are set diagonally against the south windows inside the stairwells. A high-panelled central pulpit, with a sounding board at the north end, is accessed by a curved stair with barley-sugar twist balusters and moulded handrails. A dado with sunk panels runs around the walls. Ornate window latches and wrought-iron hinges to the outer doors are also present.