Underbank Chapel facts for kids
Underbank Chapel is a special place of worship for Unitarians in Stannington, a part of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It belongs to the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, which is the main group for Unitarians in Britain.
The chapel is in a peaceful countryside area, about 4 miles (6 km) west of Sheffield city centre. It sits on Stannington Road and looks out over the beautiful Loxley Valley. This building is so important that it's officially listed as a Grade II listed building.
The Underbank Schoolroom is also very old and important. It's located just 55 yards (50 m) southwest of the chapel and is also a Grade II listed building.
Contents
The Chapel's Long History
The story of Underbank Chapel began way back in 1652. At first, people met in a barn that had been turned into a meeting place. This was possible because a man named Richard Spoone left land and a building in his will to create a place for a "preaching minister." Since the chapel started during the time of the Commonwealth of England, the minister was a Presbyterian. This new chapel made it much easier for people in Stannington to worship close to home. Before this, the closest church was the Church of St Nicholas in High Bradfield, which was about five kilometers away. By the year 1700, the people meeting here were known as Dissenters, meaning they had different religious views from the main Church of England.
By 1740, the first chapel building was getting old and couldn't be used anymore. So, Thomas Marriott of Ughill, who was a local Dissenting Christian, bought some land nearby and built the chapel we see today. The new chapel opened its doors on June 2, 1743.
In 1785, the chapel became Unitarian when Reverend Edmund Gibson became the minister. This was a big change, and many people in the congregation didn't agree with Unitarian beliefs. They left the church, with some going back to St. Nicholas and others joining a new church in Sheffield. In 1796, a famous poet named Samuel Taylor Coleridge visited Underbank. He was thinking about becoming a Unitarian minister at the time and met the chapel's minister, Reverend Astley Meanley.
Looking at the Chapel's Design
Underbank Chapel is known as a special and interesting example of an 18th-century Dissenters' meeting house. It was even featured on the cover of a book called The Unitarian Heritage. The book describes its design as "extremely sophisticated," even though we don't know who designed it.
Outside the Chapel
The chapel is built from rough, squared sandstone with smooth stone details. The roof is hipped, meaning it slopes down on all sides, and is made of stone slates. The flat middle part of the roof is made of lead. The front of the chapel (which faces south) has unique windows. There are two very tall, round-topped windows with many small glass panes. Above both doors, there are decorative round windows called oculus windows. The chapel originally had separate doors for men and women. Both doors are still there, but only the right-hand one is used now.
Inside the Chapel
On the north wall inside, there are two stained glass windows. One shows St. Mark as a winged lion and Saint Matthew as a winged man. The other window shows Jesus welcoming children.
The inside of the chapel was changed a bit in the 1800s and 1900s. In 1860, fixed pews (church benches) were added. Originally, there were two long balconies on the sides to fit all the people who came to services. These side balconies were later removed, and now only a balcony on the east wall at the back of the chapel remains. In 1952, the chapel had a big update. Two pews were taken out to make space for a vestry (a room for the minister), and wood panels were added. At the same time, the pulpit (where the minister speaks) was moved to a more central spot, swapping places with the organ. The organ is now in the northwest corner, and you can still see a faint outline of where the original pulpit used to be. The organ itself is a Brindley & Foster pipe organ. It was bought second-hand to remember chapel members who were lost in World War I. The chapel can now seat about 110 people downstairs, plus 50 to 70 people in the gallery.
In 2002, chapel members made a special wall-hanging to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the chapel's founding. It has different sections showing chapel life since 1652, with a central picture of the building's outside today. You can see it displayed on the chapel's west wall, near the pulpit.
Underbank Schoolroom
The Underbank Schoolroom is located 55 yards (50 m) southwest of the chapel. It stands where Stannington Road, Riggs Low Road, and Stopes Road meet.
Schoolroom History
The first school building here was started in a similar way to the chapel. Richard Spoone, a local landowner, left a property called Sim House in his will on May 23, 1652. He wanted it to be used "for the education of poor children whose parents are willing but unable to keep them in school." Ralph Wood, the minister of the chapel, became the first schoolmaster, earning seventeen shillings and sixpence every three months. In February 1844, George Revitt, who was 21, was chosen as the new master by the trustees. He earned £20 a year. He was the master for 31 years, and the school did very well under him. The trustees started looking for a place to build a bigger school. However, they decided to knock down the old school and build the new one on the same spot.
The new school was finished in 1853 and opened on May 8, 1854. It cost between £500 and £600 to build. The trustees gave £100, the Sunday school gave £100, and there was also money from the Bingley House trust. But there was still a lot of money to pay back. It took 31 years to pay off the debt! People started a public collection that raised £270. The last of the money was finally paid in April 1885 from a bazaar (a fundraising event) held at Channing Hall, which was connected to Upper Chapel in Sheffield.
In September 1910, the school was taken over by the County Council. It was announced that the school would close on July 31, 1911. The students moved to the new Stannington Council School (Infants Department), which was more central. Mrs. Payne, who was the headmistress at Underbank, became the head of the new school.
Schoolroom Architecture
The school building is made from rough gritstone with a Welsh slate roof. It has one main floor and a basement. The windows are tall and round-topped, with many small glass panes. There is a central plaque on the upper outside east wall that says: "Day and Sunday School erected A.D. 1853."
Images for kids
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Underbank Chapel, a historic building in Stannington.
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The Underbank Schoolroom building.
