Wath Methodist Church

Methodist Church, built as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in 1859-1860.

MATERIALS: squared, evenly coursed limestone; Welsh slate roof with a stone ridge and hips; cast iron rainwater goods.

PLAN: a single cell, shaped as an irregular pentagon. The party wall with the attached terrace to the north forms the rear wall of the interior. The pews and the balcony are orientated in a straight line along this rear wall, with the pulpit occupying the opposite, southern-most corner. The entrance is adjacent to the south-eastern corner, close to the stairs up to the balcony. This entrance is accessed via a path along the eastern side of the chapel which continues onwards, giving access to the rear of the terrace to the north.

EXTERIOR: a simply detailed exterior with a tall, high-set, round arched window placed roughly central to each of the four external faces of the building. The window joinery is of simple Georgian style with glazing bars and plain glazing. The entrance doorway is also round arched and has a simple date stone set above the slightly projecting keystone, the date stone being inscribed WESLEYAN/ CHAPEL/ 1859. Set above this is an octagonal stone forming a clock face inscribed with roman numerals. The roof is hipped, adjoining that of the attached terrace.

INTERIOR: simply detailed with timber boarded walls and ceiling. The balcony cuts across a window to either side internally, that to the east lighting the staircase, that to the west providing good lighting to both above and below the balcony. The balcony is raked and has three rows of fitted benches, the rear-most, at the head of the stairs, being a pew, enclosed with a low door and provided with a book rest, this being interpreted as a musicians' pew. The balcony front is straight and has a dentilated cornice and simply moulded plinth, being supported by two timber pillars in the form of simple Tuscan columns. Below there are three rows of benches set behind the pillars with built-in cupboards beneath the staircase. The pulpit is raised up by four steps, providing perfect sight-lines to all seating, being a modest timber-panelled enclosure with a half door, incorporating simple bench seat and a book rest. The stair has stick balusters with a turned newel.

SUBSIDIARIES: the access path is stone flagged and enclosed with iron hooped railings and gate. A simple boot-scraper is built into the fence line opposite the entrance door.