Chapel Hall

The building is a chapel hall, dating from the 18th century, with a later schoolroom and chapel hall extension to the rear. Constructed of snecked rubble with freestone dressings, it has slate roofs, including fishscale tiles to the hipped cross roofs of the outer bays. The main front has a five-window arrangement, with a taller, pedimented central section. The pediment features a weathervane and acroteria, repeated on flanking balustrades. A central roundel window is set within a semicircular headed architrave and bracket cornice. Sash windows are fitted with marginal glazing bars. Three central windows are linked by a continuous, stilted hoodmould with tall keystones over quatrefoil oculi, supported by cylindrical columns with grooved annulets and Corinthian carved capitals with impost bands. The outer bays feature windows set in full-height round-arched recesses, also with bracket cills and impost bands, and a punched band between floors. A projecting open porch, featuring channelled rustication, is centrally positioned with three round arches to the front and one to the sides. A panelled parapet, pierced over the outer arches and bearing an inscription to the centre, tops the porch, while nook shafts with annulets and capitals feature on the piers. Paired entrances have panelled double doors, fanlights, and hoodmoulds, with a stone memorial tablet by R Jerman situated between them. A railed forecourt is present, enclosed by gates and panelled stone gate piers; one cast-iron lamp standard has been retained.

The six-bay side elevations feature windows similar to those on the front, with slate hanging on the left and brick on the right; the rear elevation is also slate hung, with an organ chamber projection. Extending slightly off centre to the rear is a seven-bay schoolroom and chapel hall, largely single-storey with dividing pilasters to each bay, slate hung to the left and polychrome brick to the right. Round arched headed metal frame small pane windows and camber-headed lower windows are found at the rear, along with boarded doors. The rear gable end has two chimney stacks, and attached is a L-shaped caretaker’s house, brick and slate hung, with sash windows, a blue brick lean-to, and an iron gate with decorative finials opening onto a cobbled path.

The interior is in a classical style, featuring a raked gallery designed to hold a large congregation, over 1,000 people. The ceiling is composed of four main panels with smaller bordering ones, featuring deep ribs inset with arabesque carved ventilators; a large ceiling rose is centrally positioned, with smaller roses to the main panels. A modillion cornice with console brackets runs throughout. The panelled gallery front is carried on cast iron fluted columns topped with foliage carved capitals, with a railed platform incorporating imitation marble colonnettes. Iron trusses support the hall roof, and a fine ironwork balustrade protects the raked gallery, below which is a panelled room.