East Dartmoor Baptist Church

SX 8178 BOVEY TRACEY ABBEY ROAD, Bovey Tracey

11/32 East Dartmoor Baptist Church -

GV II

Baptist Church. Built 1824. Solid walls, probably of stone, covered with roughcast, except for front wall which is rendered. Slated roof, hipped at rear. 3-window front with 4-window side-walls. In front wall the ground storey projects, having a flat roof with simple block-crenellated parapet. Front has cornice and gable in almost pediment form with triangular inset containing a square moulded plaque inscribed A.D,1824. Windows are doorway are round-headed and set in shallow round-headed recesses. In the ground storey the recesses are themselves set in larger round-headed recesses with stucco mask key-blocks. The windows in the 2 outer bays are blind, the centre bay having a pair of 3-panelled doors; all 3 openings have glazed fanlights with radial bars. In front is an area-railing and gates of cast-iron (included in the listing), each standard having a spear-head with trefoiled open tracery. In the upper storey the 2 outer windows are blind, the centre window having original 8-paned sashes, the glazing-bars in the head curved to match the round arch of the opening. The 4 upper-storey windows in each of the side-walls are of the same pattern. In the lower storey on each side the windows are flat-headed with original wood sashes, the lower sashes of 8 panes and the upper sashes of 4 panes. In the second bay from the right in the left-hand side-wall is a door with 6 flush panels; above it is a flat wooden hood on shaped brackets. Interior: has foyer at front with flight of granite steps on each side leading up to the gallery. Interior of church has galleries on 3 sides; cast-iron Doric columns with plain shafts support gallery having panelled wood front with Grecian decoration. In the galleries a complete set of original, plain panelled seats. At east end a high platform incorporating central pulpit; carved wood in medieval style with panels of decorative ironwork, probably mid or late C19. Behind it a large organ, probably of similar date but said to have been brought from a church in Dawlish; wood casing carved with Gothic detail, painted pipes. Present Minister say the original support for the church came mainly from workers in the Bovey Potteries. White's Directory of Devonshire, 1850, p.470, gives 1823 as the date of building.

Listing NGR: SX8149478537