Worthing Tabernacle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Worthing Tabernacle |
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The church from the west
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| 50°48′53″N 0°22′16″W / 50.8148°N 0.3712°W | |
| Location | 64 Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1BN |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Evangelical |
| Website | www.worthingtab.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Chapel |
| Founded | 1895 (in Montague Street) |
| Founder(s) | C. Douglas Crouch |
| Events | 1895: Founded in former Independent chapel in Montague Street 1908: Moved to Chapel Road |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II-listed |
| Designated | 2 December 1988 |
| Architect(s) | James Lund |
| Style | Gothic/Romanesque Revival |
| Completed | 1908 |
Worthing Tabernacle is a special Christian church in Worthing, a town in West Sussex, England. It's an independent Evangelical church. The building you see today, with its light-colored stone and a big round window, was finished in 1908. However, the church itself started earlier, in 1895. It began in an older chapel when Worthing was growing fast as a popular seaside town. Today, Worthing Tabernacle is part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. This building is very important for its design and history. It has been given a special heritage status called Grade II-listed by English Heritage.
The Story of Worthing Tabernacle
Many churches and chapels were built in Worthing after it became a town in 1803. This was a time when the town was growing quickly as a popular seaside resort. One of these chapels was built in 1839 on Montague Street. It was probably designed by Charles Hide, a local architect. This chapel was for independent Christian worship, meaning it wasn't tied to one specific church group. It was known as the Tabernacle.
Over time, this chapel was used by different Christian groups. For a short period in 1854, it was even used as an Anglican church. By 1893, the building had a new look and was called Montague Hall. It was used for many things, like concerts, plays, and talks, as well as church services.
C. Douglas Crouch was a pastor from Bromley, Kent. He used to lead a Baptist church that started in Montague Hall in 1879. In 1895, he left that church. He then started a new independent church, the Worthing Tabernacle, in Montague Hall. This was the last time the building was used for religious services.
In 1908, two musician brothers bought Montague Hall. They turned it into a shop and a concert hall. That same year, the church asked architect James Lund to design a new chapel for them. They chose a spot on Chapel Road, close to St Paul's Church. The new building was officially registered for worship in 1908. It has been used as Worthing Tabernacle ever since.
Worthing Tabernacle was given a Grade II listing by English Heritage on December 2, 1988. This means it's a building of special historical or architectural interest. In 2001, it was one of many listed buildings in Worthing.
Today, the chapel holds Sunday services and other meetings. Some church groups also meet in homes around Worthing. The Tabernacle is also connected to the Maybridge Christian Fellowship. This is another Evangelical church that started in Worthing in 1954.
What the Church Looks Like
Worthing Tabernacle has a very unique outside look. Inside, it feels grand and is set up like an auditorium. James Lund, the architect, mixed two old styles: Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival. He used light-colored stone for the front of the building. The sides and back are made of brick, and the roof is slate.
The front of the church has a very large, round window with twelve sections. Below this, there are six tall, narrow windows. Even lower, there are three arched windows with one window on each side. The front is also supported by strong, tapering pillars called buttresses. These end in pointed decorations called pinnacles. On each side of the main front, there are smaller sections with round-arched doors. The sides of the church are made of dark brick with red brick details. They also have rounded, narrow windows.
Inside, the roof is very impressive. It's held up by fancy iron pillars. These pillars go through the wooden balconies on each side and support the main beams. The tops of these pillars have detailed designs. A large arch, partly made of granite, divides the inside into two main areas. In the front part, you can still see the original double-deck pulpit, carved wooden balconies, and wooden pews from when the church was built. At the back of the chapel, there's a modern organ. The original organ was said to have come from Walmer Castle in Kent!
See also
- List of places of worship in Worthing
- Listed buildings in Worthing
