Westgate Methodist Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Westgate Methodist Chapel |
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| OS grid reference | NY 905 380 |
| Location | Westgate, County Durham |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Methodist |
| Website | Westgate Methodist Chapel |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 5 June 1987 |
| Architect(s) | George Race junior and Mr Atkinson |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Groundbreaking | 1871 |
| Completed | 1871 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone with slate roofs |
The Westgate Methodist Chapel is an old church building in the village of Westgate, England. It stands on the A689 road, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of Stanhope in County Durham. This chapel is no longer used for services. Instead, it is looked after by the Historic Chapels Trust, a group that saves important old chapels. It is also a very special building, listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England.
History of the Chapel
This chapel was first built for a group called the Primitive Methodists. The area around it, called Weardale, has a long history with this type of Methodism. In fact, a large outdoor meeting (called a camp meeting) was held there way back in 1823.
The very first chapel in Westgate village was built in 1824. The chapel you see today was built later, in 1871. It was designed by two people, George Race junior and a Mr. Atkinson. Building it cost £1,300 at the time. This new chapel was connected to the older one, which then became a schoolroom for children.
The chapel stopped holding services in 2007. In late 2009, the Historic Chapels Trust took over its care.
Looking at the Chapel's Design
The Westgate Methodist Chapel is made from sandstone and has roofs covered with slate tiles from Wales. It has two floors and is divided into five sections, called bays.
There are two ways to enter the building on the south side. One entrance is on the far west side, and another double entrance is on the far east side. The windows on the ground floor are square at the top. The windows on the upper floor have a rounded top. Above the lower windows, you can see special panels with words carved into them.
To the east of the chapel, set back a little, is the old schoolroom. It also has two floors and three bays. Its windows look similar to those in the main chapel building.
Inside the Chapel
When you go inside, you'll see the pulpit (where the preacher stands) at the west end of the chapel. At the east end, there's an entrance area with two sets of stairs. These stairs lead up to the gallery, which is like a balcony that goes all around the inside of the chapel.
The gallery is held up by thin cast iron columns. These columns are decorated in a style called Corinthian. They go up and form an arcade above, which is a row of arches. The main part of the chapel and the gallery are filled with rows of wooden seats called pitch pine pews.
The organ is located above the pulpit at the west end. It was built around 1920 by a company called Nelson & Co. from Durham. This organ has two manuals, which are like keyboards. In front of the pulpit, there's a raised platform called a dais. It's surrounded by rails, like a fence, called communion rails. On each side of this platform, there are curved doors. These doors lead to small rooms called vestries, with a storage room in between them.
The ceiling of the chapel has a curved edge called coving. It also has large flat areas called panels. The ceiling is decorated with fancy plasterwork, including leaves, decorative borders called cornices, and round shapes called roundels around the air vents.
See also
- List of chapels preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust
