Carver Memorial Chapel

WINDERMERE

781/0/10009 LAKE ROAD 29-JUN-04 Carver Memorial Chapel

II Congregational Chapel, built 1879, by local architect Robert Walker. Local snecked rubble brought to course with ashlar quoins and dressings, with slate roof. Chapel is aligned north-west to south-east, with entrance towards the street to the north-west. Attached tower at the north-west corner with separate entrance, and single storey turret at north-east corner. Main entrance doorway in centre of north-west gable end, with shouldered arch door set within a pointed compound arch decorated with carved foliage. Small single pointed arch lights to either side and large 4 light Gothic style window with geometrical quatrefoil tracery above. Continuous drip moulding below main window and above door and ground floor windows. Tower to right with angled buttresses and compound arch entrance, two narrow windows to first stage and larger double arched window with tracery to second stage. Recessed spire behind parapet. South-west elevation has 4 windows with plate tracery divided by buttresses. Rear gable end has stone chimney stack and is at a lower height than the main part of the church, forming an offset block to the south-west. North-east elevation similar to south-west but with hexagonal turret at ground floor level with pyramidal roof and single lights on each face alternating with blind truncated arches. INTERIOR: Entrance vestibule with patterned floor and wall tiles and panelled oak doors, with gallery above. Main body of the church is open across entire width of the building, with a double vaulted hammer-beam style ceiling with exposed beams. The chancel area is defined only by the presence of the altar table and pulpit, and the organ is situated at the south-east end behind the pulpit. The nave is filled with wide oak box pews having carved ends, with no central aisle. Oak fittings by local firm Latham and Dobson, stained glass by Messrs. Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster. HISTORY: The church was completed in 1879 and opened in 1880 in memory of William Carver, a Manchester businessman who made his wealth from transporting cotton goods. He had a mansion in Windermere (The Priory). The Carver family financed the building of the chapel after his death in 1875. Architect Robert Walker was a Congregationalist, and later built 4 more churches.

The church is of special architectural interest as a carefully composed and skilfully detailed late C19 church by the local architect Robert Walker, in which ecclesiastical and vernacular building traditions blend together to help create a landmark structure which remains prominent to this day.