Northgate Church, Chester, is located in Upper Northgate Street, Chester, Cheshire, England.
| Northgate Church, Chester | |
|---|---|
 Northgate Church, Chester | |
  Northgate Church, Chester Location in Cheshire | |
| 53°11′45″N 2°53′41″W / 53.1958°N 2.8946°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 404 669 |
| Location | Upper Northgate Street, Chester, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Independent |
| Website | Northgate Church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 23 July 1998 |
| Architect(s) | T. M. Lockwood |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1874 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone and brick Slate roofs |
History of the building
editIt was originally built in 1874 as a Congregational church, and was designed by the local architect T.M. Lockwood.[1] The foundation stone was laid on 23rd July 1874 by the Hon. John George Dodson, M.P. for Chester.[2] It was opened on 22nd July 1875, with the Rev. Alexander Thomson (Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales) preaching.[3] It remained in Congregational hands until 1967.[4] It was used for a time by Chester College (now Chester University). The building was bought in 1979 by its current congregation, Northgate Church.[5]
Architecture
editThe church is constructed with a front in Storeton Hill sandstone, and the sides and rear in brick. The roof is slated.[1] It is described by the authors of the Buildings of England series as "quite a landmark".[6] Standing on the highest ground in Chester city centre, its spire (28m/92ft) is visible from many parts of the city. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[1]
Sunday School
editA second building was constructed behind the church to serve as a Sunday School. A foundation stone reads, "This stone was laid by R.W. Hudson, Esq. B.A. July 28th 1880" Robert William Hudson was a local soap manufacturer and philanthropist.
A curious feature of the building is the circular holes made by queuing children, who bored into the soft brick and stone with their pennies, halfpennies and farthings (pictured below).
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c Historic England, "Northgate Church, Chester (1375969)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 February 2012
- ^ Powicke, Fred. James (1907). A History of the Cheshire County Union of Congregational Churches. Prepared (To Commemorate its Centenary, 1806-1906) At the Request of the Executive Committee. 65 Bridge St, Manchester: Thomas Griffiths & Co. p. 124.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Chester Chronicle, 17th July 1875, Vol. CI. No. 5308.
- ^ Northgate Congregational Church, Chester, 1840–1940; Powicke, Congregational Union, 124–5; C.C.A.L.S., ZCR 222/145; O.N.S. (Birkdale), Worship Reg., nos. 388, 22437.
- ^ "Northgate Church". Northgate Church, Chester.
- ^ Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 244, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6