Coanwood Friends Meeting House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coanwood Friends Meeting House |
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Coanwood Friends Meeting House
from the south |
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| Location | Coanwood, Northumberland, England |
| OS grid reference | NY 709 590 |
| Built | 1760 |
| Built for | Coanwood Quaker Meeting |
| Governing body | Historic Chapels Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 24 November 1967 |
| Reference no. | 1042914 |
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Coanwood Friends Meeting House is a special old building in Northumberland, England. It's a "meeting house" for a religious group called the Quakers. This building is very old and stands in a quiet, lonely valley. It's about 5 miles south of a town called Haltwhistle. The building is so important that it's listed as a Grade II* historic building. This means it's a really important part of England's history.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Coanwood Meeting House
The Wigham family was very important in Northumberland a long time ago. Around 1734, Cuthbert Wigham became a member of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. He started a Quaker meeting group in Coanwood.
The meeting house was built in 1760. It cost about £104 back then. This land was given by Cuthbert Wigham himself. The building is historically important because it hasn't changed much since it was built. The only big change was replacing its original roof. It used to have a roof made of heather thatch. In the 1800s, this was changed to a slate roof.
This building was also used by the Coanwood Reading Society. It even had a library where people could borrow books. Today, the Historic Chapels Trust takes care of the building. They have repaired it carefully to keep its unique old features.
What Does It Look Like? The Building's Design
Coanwood Friends Meeting House is a single-story building. It sits on a raised base called a plinth. The building is shaped like a rectangle. It is about 31 meters (102 feet) long and 6.2 meters (20 feet) wide.
It's built from squared stone blocks. The corners and edges have special cut stones called quoins. The roof has stone edges called eaves. Above these, there are slate tiles. The roof also has a stone ridge at the top.
The building has four sections, called bays. The two sections on the left and the one on the right have windows. These windows have 12 small glass panes. In the middle section, there are three steps leading up to the main door. Above the door, you can see the year "1760" carved into the stone.
The sides of the building are plain. The back wall has a window with 16 panes that can slide up and down. On the right side, there's a small lean-to building. This was an old-fashioned outdoor toilet.
Inside the Meeting House
Inside, the building is split into two rooms. A wall with shutters divides them. The larger room is on the left. It has a floor made of stone flags. This room has simple wooden benches.
There's a path down the middle, called an aisle. Seven rows of benches face towards the west. Opposite these, there are two rows of benches on a raised platform. These are sometimes called "elders' benches." This arrangement of benches is a rare example of how Quaker meeting houses used to be set up.
The smaller room has a fireplace. It also has an iron grate for a fire. The meeting house is surrounded by a graveyard. Here, you can see "typical Quaker gravestones." Many of these remember members of the Wigham family.
Visiting Coanwood Today
The meeting house is in an area popular with walkers. It is usually left unlocked during the day. This means visitors can go inside and look around.
Every September, the Hexham Quaker Meeting holds a special event here. They have a meeting for worship. After that, families often enjoy a picnic at the meeting house.
See also
- List of chapels preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust
