Burford Methodist Church facts for kids
The Burford Methodist Church is a beautiful building in Burford, Oxfordshire. It was built a long time ago, between 1715 and 1730, as a fancy home. Later, in 1849, it became a Methodist church. It is a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* Listed Building. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected because of its history and design.
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What is Baroque Style?
Baroque architecture was a popular style of building design. It was known for being grand and dramatic. In Britain, architects like John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor made it a bit simpler than the European version. This style was often liked by wealthy people who had traveled and seen it in other countries. However, not everyone loved it. For example, when Blenheim Palace was designed in the Baroque style, some people, including Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, didn't like it much.
It's quite unusual to find an early Baroque building like this in a small English town like Burford. What makes it even more special is that it's surrounded by older, smaller medieval buildings. These older buildings make the church look even taller and more classic. This creates a sense of surprise when you see it, which was a key idea in Baroque design.
How the Church Was Designed
The church was first designed as a large private house for a local lawyer named John Jordan. It has three main levels. The bottom level, called a semi-basement, was likely for kitchens and other service rooms. The first floor was the main part of the house, with important reception rooms and the main entrance. The second floor had the main bedrooms. We don't have old documents that describe exactly how the rooms were laid out.
The front of the building is very detailed. It has five sections with six tall, decorated pillars. These pillars have fancy tops and support a decorative border and a railing at the top. The main entrance is in the middle of the first floor. It has a grand, triangular decoration above it, like buildings designed by James Gibbs. You reach this entrance by climbing a flight of steps.
Below these steps, there's a hidden entrance to the semi-basement. This was likely for servants and deliveries. It's unusual to see such a grand staircase leading down to a service entrance.
The windows are also decorated with special stone pieces and panels below them. The windows are long and narrow, which makes the building look even taller. This trick of making things look bigger or taller was common in Baroque design. Some of the window panes were changed later, but the ones on the ground floor are probably original. They have smaller panes, which was typical for English Baroque buildings like Easton Neston. The detailed front of the church is similar to Heythrop Park, another building in Oxfordshire.
Becoming a Church
In 1849, the house was sold and changed into a church. To do this, the inside of the top two floors was completely removed. This created one large open hall for worship. A big indoor balcony was added on the first floor to provide more seating. The decorative urns (vases) that were on the roof's railing were taken down. People thought they didn't fit with a sacred church building.
What it's Used for Now
The building was used as a Methodist church for many years. It was part of the Witney and Faringdon Methodist circuit. However, as of 2023, the church has closed. It is now for sale.
