Congregational Church Including Front Railings, Gate And Cobbled Surface Adjoining To South

Congregational Church. Built in 1848, as indicated by a datestone. The building is constructed of snecked volcanic stone with Beer stone dressings. It is a large, gable-ended building containing the church itself at the front, with two-storey meeting rooms behind, and a projecting vestibule and porch to the south. The small, gable-ended vestibule sits across two buttresses, rising as large, square-sectioned standards with gabled heads; the right-hand buttress displays a Beer stone plaque inscribed ‘Jas. Parish Buller, 1848’. The large, arch-headed porch door, with a hoodmould, features a studded oak door with ornate Gothick strap hinges. Small, arch-headed windows are located on either side of the porch. The south front has three large Beer stone lancet windows, each with a hoodmould and multi-paned cast iron frames with interlace heads. Diagonal buttresses are located on each side, and the roof has Beer stone coping to a relatively low pitch. Each long side has three full-height, arch-headed lancet windows with cast iron frames, and the rear elevation is similarly designed. The interior of the church is largely original, with two arch-headed doors leading from the entrance lobby. A 20th-century ceiling obscures the original roof. A canted, panelled gallery projects from the north wall, incorporating a round-headed alcove that houses the organ. It is flanked by large panels containing painted ribbon tenements framed by pilasters and a simple entablature. Contemporary features include the rostrum, communion rails, and pews. The front (south) graveyard is enclosed by contemporary railings, set on volcanic footings, with heavy, square-sectioned uprights terminating in large, unusual spear heads. On the south-east side, large, square-sectioned volcanic ashlar gate-posts with pyramid caps support iron gates and a wrought iron overthrow, decorated with scrolls and clasping a lantern. A matching stone pier exists at the south-west. The Congregational Church is well-preserved and notable for its proximity to the Parish Church.