Wesley Methodist Church, And Attached Schoolroom, Vestry And Iron Railings

LAUNCESTON

SX3284 CHURCH STREET 660-1/4/53 (West side) 13/09/72 Wesley Methodist Church, and attached schoolroom, vestry and iron railings (Formerly Listed as: CHURCH STREET (West side) Wesley Methodist Church)

GV II

Nonconformist chapel. 1870 (on site of 1812 and 1862 chapel). By James Hine and Alfred Norman of Plymouth; general contractors Blatchfords of Tavistock; carving by Harry Hems of Exeter. Polychrome stone, brought to course with Bathstone, Portland stone and granite dressings; very steep main roof, medium pitch lean-to aisle roofs, all with dry Delabole slate and coped ends; former tower spire removed early 1980s. Nave, apsidal chancel, transept, aisles and attached tower. Early Gothic style. Road front is symmetrical ritual west end plus buttressed tower on right linked by courtyard doorway. Church has tall central gable end with flanking buttresses, quatrefoil vent over large 4-light pointed west window with octofoil rose over 2 pointed arches enclosing quatrefoils over trefoil-headed lights; triple entrance loggia with pointed arches and sexfoil tympanae over polished granite shafted piers and freestone abutments all with carved classically inspired caps and imposts. Flanking aisles each with 2-light traceried window; end buttresses with crocketted pinnacles. All windows with leaded glazing. 2-light clerestory windows to sides. 3-bay front end of schoolroom on left has stepped 3-light window with round arches and sill storey (reused from 1862 chapel) to projecting central gabled bay and round-headed window with squat nook shaft, to each side bay. INTERIOR of chapel: arch-braced roof; 4-bay aisle arcades with pointed arches; mullion shafts to clerestory windows; chancel with painted wall panels by Harris of Plymouth. Fittings: numbered pitch-pine pews, gallery at north (ritual west) end with quatrefoil frieze; hexagonal-on-plan Bath stone pulpit and round font; book stand and communion rail by Hart Peard; desk in vestry by Whipple of Exeter 1890 from schoolroom (qv) Castle Street. Subsidiary features: Low rubble forecourt walls with chamfered granite copings surmounted by iron railings with twist stanchions with central balls and fleur-de-lis finials; central gateway with square piers and pair of arched iron gates with low frieze of roundels. (Spencer-Toy H: The Methodist Church at Launceston: Launceston: 1964-).

Listing NGR: SX3315484684