Winchmore Hill Quaker Meeting House

Quaker Meeting House. Built between 1790 and 1791 probably to designs by John Bevans of London. Further extensions of 1796 and 1809, with later alterations principally of 1987 to designs by John Marsh, architect.

MATERIALS: yellow bricks laid to Flemish bond, stucco dressings, Welsh slate roof coverings.

PLAN: the C18 meeting house is rectangular on plan, oriented north-south with a gabled roof. The later extensions form a lower range to the rear, oriented east-west, with a combination of pitched, lean-to and flat roofs.

EXTERIOR: the meeting house stands in the south-east corner of the Quaker burial ground on Church Hill. The burial ground is enclosed by walls listed at Grade II. The main (south) elevation forms a pedimented façade comprising three bays with a central entrance flanked by a six-over-six sash window to each side. The entrance has a stone hood on stone brackets above the flat arched door opening. The two plain window openings also have flat arches, with external shutters. The pediment above has a simple moulded cornice and a blind oculus carrying a painted inscription reading FRIENDS/ MEETING/ HOUSE. The gabled roof has Welsh slate coverings with gable copings.

To the east and set back from the meeting house front, the front elevation of the former school room is of three bays, comprising from left to right two six-over-six sash windows in plain window openings with flat arches, then the entrance door in a plain door surround with a two-light fanlight under a flat arch. A dormer lighting the former school room attic from the south has a new (2016) six-pane window.

The meeting house side elevations to east and west each have one six-over-six sash window in plain window openings under flat arches. The north elevation is largely obscured by the rear range, but the gable end includes a blind oculus and chimney stack. The rear range comprises, from right to left, a single-storey annexe under a lean-to roof fronted by a flat-roofed lavatory block lit by three small windows, then the former school room with a gabled roof partially fronted by a small lean-to conservatory.

INTERIOR: the panelled double-leaf meeting house doors lead from the main entrance into the full height meeting room. The room has a boarded floor and plainly panelled dado rising to the window cills. The east, west and south walls have fixed benches. There may have been an Elders’ stand to the north wall, and the room may have had a gallery. The original flat plaster ceiling is thought to survive, obscured by a ceiling of acoustic tiles. A door in the north-east corner of the meeting room provides internal access to the rear range. The rear range includes a small meeting room in the former school house, a kitchen, and cloakrooms (not inspected).