Fuller Baptist Church

A Baptist chapel of 1861 to designs by Edward Sharman.

MATERIALS: dressed limestone decorated with coloured terracotta tiles to the principal (south) elevation. Flanking elevations are of yellow stock bricks on an ironstone rubblestone plinth, with limestone dressings. Windows with stained glass detail feature on all elevations. The church has a pitched slate roof.

PLAN: the chapel is rectangular on plan facing south onto Gold Street. A lateral range to the rear runs roughly west to east.

EXTERIOR: the building is of three storeys, with a pitched roof. A small cylindrical spirelet with a cone-shaped roof rises from a square plinth at the centre of the ridge of the roof. The principal (south) elevation has a three-bay projecting porch with round arches supported on chamfered square columns flanked by colonnettes. The arches are embellished with coloured tiles with a diamond motif. Within the porch, more coloured tiles highlight three round arches, surrounding panelled timber doors to left and right, and a stained glass window to the centre. A moulded plat band formed of decorated terracotta tiles divides the ground and first-floor storeys. The first floor has a group of four round-headed windows divided by paired colonnettes and ornamented with keystones beneath a frieze of coloured tiles. The windows are embellished with coloured glass. The third storey forms a triangular pediment. A central round window with carved embellishments occupies the centre of the pediment.

The east and west elevations are of yellow stock brick on an ironstone rubblestone plinth topped with a limestone moulding, with moulded ‘special’ bricks adorning the windows. There are five bays, separated by stepped brick pilasters. At ground floor, there is one window in each bay, topped with segmental arches with ogee-moulded bricks above and toothed brick detail below. The windows are each in two panes ornamented with stained glass. At first floor level, each bay has a pair of round-arched windows, again in two panes ornamented with stained glass.

The early-C20 extension to the east at the rear is of two storeys in yellow stock brick in an arts and crafts style. Its windows have segmental arches with ogee mouldings, mirroring the church building. The windows have substantial timber mullions and transoms and simple leaded lights. The west elevation facing the access lane has two bays, with three-over-three and one-over-one windows. The south elevation has two bays each with three-over-three windows.

INTERIOR: The previous list description (dated 21 November 1974) described a three-sided gallery with panelled fronts supported on iron pillars. The ceiling with coved sides is divided into rectangular panels, raised up centre also coved and panelled with tie beams across beneath it. Mahogany fittings. It is also understood that the church contains a stained glass medallion of Andrew Fuller.

Listing NGR: SP8674078872