Swanwick Shore Strict Baptist Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swanwick Shore Strict Baptist Chapel |
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The chapel from the east
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| 50°52′54″N 1°17′48″W / 50.88155°N 1.29662°W | |
| Location | 263 Bridge Road, Lower Swanwick, Hampshire SO31 7FN |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Churchmanship | Strict Baptist |
| History | |
| Status | Chapel |
| Founded | 1835 |
| Founder(s) | George Harding |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 26 September 2005 |
| Style | Vernacular |
| Groundbreaking | 1844 |
| Completed | 1844 |
The Swanwick Shore Strict Baptist Chapel is a special church in Lower Swanwick, a village in Hampshire, England. It's a place where people who follow the Strict Baptist faith come to worship.
This chapel has been used for church services since 1844. Before that, people met in a boat-shed that was turned into a church. People started gathering there in 1835. Their leader was a pastor named George Harding. He led the church until he passed away in 1892.
The building is made of simple brick. It is considered important for its history and design. Because of this, Historic England has given it a special status called Grade II.
Contents
The Chapel's Story
In the early 1800s, many Christians in the Swanwick area were called Nonconformists. This meant they were not part of the main Church of England. They met in a chapel in nearby Sarisbury that opened in 1803.
George Harding's Journey
George Harding often attended this chapel. He sometimes helped lead the services there. After a few years, the chapel closed for a while. When it reopened, George Harding's beliefs had changed. He now followed the ideas of the Strict Baptist movement.
He started leading services for people who shared his new beliefs. At first, they met in people's homes. Then, in 1835, he found a boat-shed. He fixed it up to be a meeting place for his growing group.
From Boat-Shed to Chapel
The boat-shed was not a perfect place for a church. It was made of wood and was very long and narrow. It often got too hot inside. Also, because it was by the River Hamble, it would sometimes flood, especially when the tide was high. Soon, so many people wanted to attend that there wasn't enough room for everyone.
By 1844, the boat-shed was no longer safe to use. George Harding decided it was time to build a new, proper chapel. He got help from John Moody, who owned the boatyard nearby. The new chapel was finished in the same year, 1844. You can see this date carved into a stone on the front of the building.
George Harding continued to be the pastor until he died in 1892. A small room called a vestry was added to the back of the chapel in the 1870s. Not many other changes have happened to the building since then.
Special Status
On September 26, 2005, the chapel was given Grade II listed status. This means it is a "nationally important" building with "special interest." In 2001, it was one of 406 Grade II listed buildings in the Borough of Fareham.
How the Chapel Looks
The chapel is set back a little from Bridge Road. This road, also known as the A27, used to be the main route between Southampton, Fareham, and Portsmouth.
Outside the Building
The outside of the chapel is very simple. It is built with red and grey bricks and has a roof made of slate tiles. The front of the building faces east and looks the same on both sides. It has two large, slightly sunken, arched windows that are filled in with bricks (they don't have glass). Below these windows is the main doorway.
Between the rounded tops of the bricked-up windows, there is a special stone. This stone reads "baptist chapel / erected / 1844". The bricks are laid in a pattern called Flemish bond. At the very bottom of the walls, there is a smooth, plastered base. The double doors are made of wood panels. Above them, a small slate roof sticks out, held up by simple supports.
The sides of the chapel, facing north and south, look similar. They each have two windows that can be slid up and down. These windows are placed between brick columns that stick out a little. The north side has one extra small window, which was added later. The vestry at the back is also one story tall, but it is shorter than the main chapel. Its walls are plastered, and it has one sliding window.
Images for kids
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A close-up of the datestone on the chapel.
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See also
