Guildford Quaker Meeting House

Quaker Meeting House built in 1804-6 to a design by John Bevans, a Quaker architect of Plaistow, with later additions.

MATERIALS: the main building is of red brick laid in Flemish bond with a hipped slate roof. The porch is similar but laid in stretcher bond. The extension to the south is also of red brick in Flemish bond with a hipped slate roof.

PLAN: oblong main building with a porch to the west and a lower extension to the south, also with a porch.

EXTERIOR: the main building has brick dentilled eaves. Its main elevation faces roughly west and contains two large 24-pane sash windows under gauged-brick segmental heads to the north of the porch. To the south of the porch are 16-pane sashes to the ground and first floors. The porch has a 16-pane sash to the west, and modern arched and glazed doors to the south. The north elevation has a 20-pane sash window. At the north-east corner is a brick chimney. The south elevation has one arched metal casement window to the upper room.

The extension has a metal ventilator flue on the roof and a 16-pane sash to the west. A small lean-to brick porch with a window beside a part-glazed door links the main building and the extension.

INTERIOR: inside the main porch are inscribed bricks which feature the date 1805 and the initials of the founders. The ceiled main meeting room has timber dado panelling and a carpeted timber floor.

The two-tier stand is to the north and has turned end pillars to the two flights of steps. At the north-west is a built-in cupboard. The south wall has a folding partition with some glazed panels; above is further panelling. The east wall has two small, high-level metal windows. The adjoining smaller meeting room has a further folding partition which can divide it into two. There is a large chimneybreast against the east wall.

A staircase with a square newel and square balusters leads to the first-floor room with another blocked chimneybreast to the east.

In the south extension the children’s room has a blocked chimneybreast as well as vertical dado panelling; it adjoins the small kitchen and toilets.