Chingford United Reformed Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chingford United Reformed Church
Chingford United Reformed Church, west front in Buxton Road
Location	Buxton Road, Chingford, London, E4 7DP
Country	England
Denomination	United Reformed Church
Website	https://www.forestgroupurc.co.uk/chingford-urc.html
History
Status	Active
Founded	1888
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	2 July 1998
Architect(s)	John Diggle Mould and Samuel Joseph Mould
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Years built	1910
Administration
Division	Forest Group of United Reformed Churches

The Chingford United Reformed Church is a special church building located on Buxton Road in Chingford, London. It's a Grade II listed building, which means it's important and protected because of its history and design. It belongs to the United Reformed Church group.

History of the Church

The story of Chingford United Reformed Church began in 1888.

• At first, the church community, then called a Congregational church, met in a café. This café was named the Victoria Coffee Palace and was on Station Road.
• In 1889, the church bought its own piece of land.
• They put up a temporary building made of corrugated iron. People sometimes called these "tin tabernacles."
• A year later, in 1890, a proper church hall was opened. It was named Spicer Hall. This was to honor James Spicer, who was a kind person who helped the church with money.
• The architect who designed Spicer Hall was Rowland Plumbe. The church later sold this hall, and it was turned into apartments in 2004.
• The main church building you see today was built in 1910.
• The architects were two brothers, John Diggle Mould and Samuel Joseph Mould. They came from Manchester and were known for designing churches for groups like the Primitive Methodists. These groups were part of the Nonconformist movement, meaning they didn't follow the main Church of England.

What the Church Looks Like

The Chingford United Reformed Church is built with red bricks and has stone bands.

• The front of the church, which faces Buxton Road, has three entrances.
• Above these entrances, there's a very large window. It's designed in a style called Perpendicular Gothic, which means it has tall, straight lines. The glass in the window is in the Art Nouveau style, which uses flowing, natural shapes.
• On the right side of the front, there's a tall tower. It has pointed tops called pinnacles and a roof shaped like a cone, called a spire, which is covered in copper.
• Inside the church, you first enter a foyer (a small entrance area). Above this foyer is a gallery, like a balcony.
• From the foyer, you go into the main part of the church, called the nave. Even though it's mostly square, stone arches in the corners make it look like an octagon (an eight-sided shape).
• A stone screen separates the nave from the sanctuary, which is the area where the altar is. The sanctuary has a polygonal (many-sided) shape.