Trinity Methodist Church

Trinity Methodist Church

Church. Built in 1901 and designed by RJ Winnicott. Constructed in red and grey/red bricks laid in English bond with stone dressings, and topped by composite slate hipped roofs.

The church is a six-bay building with two south-facing porches. A north wing contains a hall with school rooms. The striking south façade features a three-stage campanile at the west end and a shorter tower at the east.

The campanile's first stage contains two six-panelled doors separated by a stone mullion, set beneath a flat stone lintel, imposts and pediment with banded stone cornice. The second stage displays two tall recessed brick panels on each side, each containing a small round-arched stone arcade with short squat columns and stone cornice above. The third stage has a recessed arcade of four round-arched openings with columns on each side. A stone bracketed cornice, stone coped brick parapet and a lead-covered dome topped with a small round domed turret and weathervane complete this element.

Between the campanile and eastern tower sits the projecting centre, which features a five-light stone mullioned window with sashes and leaded lights. The central sash is taller and wider, set beneath a curved stone pediment with flat stone lintel. Flanking sashes with leaded lights sit within recessed faces beneath cambered brick arches, with a stone band cornice above.

The upper tier displays giant order paired stone Corinthian columns with entablature and pediment containing a brick tympanum at centre. A large Venetian-type three-light casement window with leaded lights is set beneath a round stone arch with keystone, banded imposts and apron with stone balusters. Two further sashes with leaded lights flank this window, each beneath a cambered brick arch.

The short eastern tower mirrors the western campanile, featuring two similar six-panelled entrance doors, stone cornice, two sash windows with leaded lights beneath cambered brick arches, centre and flanking brick pilasters with stone caps and bases, stone cornice, coped parapet and pyramidal roof topped with an iron fretted pinnacle.

The west face contains a projecting porch at the church centre with a stone entrance opening under a flat arch, flanking Doric pilasters, entablature and pediment. Behind the porch is a two-leaf door with six raised and moulded panels per leaf, with glazed centre panels. Flanking returns contain two narrow sashes with leaded lights beneath flat stone arches. To the right of the porch are four paired sashes with leaded lights beneath cambered brick arches, each with curved brick band dripstone above. The second tier has five eight-paned casements beneath round stone arches with projecting bracketed eaves.

To the left, a projecting square bay contains a two-leaf boarded door with overlight and stone pediment, with a similar window above, stone cornice and pyramidal roof. The attached hall and classrooms project forward with four paired sashes of four panes with leaded lights, stone sills and cambered brick arches with dripstone. The first floor has four round-headed windows similar to those of the church.

The east face mirrors the west elevation but includes at far right an external staircase providing access to the first floor of the hall wing, with flanking corrugated-iron side panels. The ground and first floor of the hall have two eight-paned casements beneath cambered brick arches with a similar paired casement at centre.

The north face of the hall wing has two ground floor and five first floor six-pane transomed casements each beneath cambered brick arches, with a small lean-to structure and boarded door to the right.

The interior features a five-bay arcade on each side with slim full-height fluted cast-iron Doric columns set on high octagonal bases. A balcony extends around three sides (south, east and west) with carved wood panelled fronts, columns and rounded arches with moulded cap. Each of six panels has flanking timber pilasters. The balcony has a sloping ceiling above and a flat plastered ceiling over the balcony with a curved ceiling at centre between the east and west arcades, supported by curved beams on columns. Balcony access stairs are located at the south end.

At the north end, an organ recess is fronted by a carved wood pulpit with projecting rounded front and access stairs at each side. The organ recess has a round arch with pilasters. The church retains its original pews and features leaded light windows with stained glass throughout.