Congregational Chapel, Nantwich facts for kids
The Congregational Chapel is an old church building in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. It's also called the Independent Chapel. You can find it on Monks Lane, which is now a path for people walking. It's near St Mary's Church. This building was finished in 1842. It's a special building because it's listed as a Grade II historic site. The chapel stopped being used as a church in the late 1900s. Now, it has been changed into homes.
History of the Chapel
Early on, people in Nantwich were not very welcoming to Nonconformist preachers. These were people who didn't follow the main Church of England. For example, in 1753, famous preachers like John Wesley and George Whitefield faced angry crowds.
A group of Independents, who were a type of Nonconformist, started meeting in 1780. This group was led by Captain Jonathan Scott. He was a former soldier who decided to become a missionary. Captain Scott traveled a lot, preaching in different parts of England and Wales. He helped start many Congregational churches.
In 1796, a local leader named Samuel Barrow helped the Nantwich group. He gave money to help them get a permanent minister. The first Independent chapel was built in 1801 on Church Lane. Captain Scott later moved to Nantwich and helped the chapel's ministers until he passed away.
The Independent church grew a lot around 1840. They needed a bigger place, so a new chapel was built on Monks Lane. This new building was finished in 1842. It was large enough to hold about 700 people. The old chapel building was then used as a Sunday School.
Nantwich had several other Nonconformist churches around this time. These included Methodist and Baptist chapels. After 1851, the number of people attending the Congregational Chapel started to go down.
In 1875, the chapel got an organ. Later, in 1884, they decided to build a new Sunday School next to the chapel. This new building was completed in 1903. In 1890, the inside of the chapel was redecorated, and new seats were added.
In the 1970s, the chapel building had problems with dry rot, which is a type of fungus that damages wood. Because of this, the chapel eventually closed. The building was then turned into apartments where people now live. The Sunday School building was also affected by dry rot and was later taken down.
What the Chapel Looks Like
The old Congregational Chapel is a two-story building made of red bricks. It has special stone decorations. The front of the building has three main sections. The top part looks like a triangle, called a pediment. This pediment is held up by large brick columns, called pilasters. On the pediment, you can see a stone plaque with the date it was built written in Roman numerals.
There are two doors at the front. Each door has a rectangular window above it, called a fanlight. Above these windows are decorative ledges, called cornices. In the middle of the front, between the doors, there is a window. The second floor also has three windows. Each of these windows has a rounded top with a special stone decoration called a keystone.
There is also a stone line, called a string course, that goes across the front of the building between the first and second floors. The sides of the building have four sections, and their windows also have rounded tops. Inside, the chapel used to have a circular balcony, but this has been changed since it became apartments.
See also
- Listed buildings in Nantwich
- List of churches in Cheshire
