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| The Wesleyan Chapel c.1905 |
The Methodist (Wesleyan) Chapel was built along New Buildings (formerly Grimms Lane). It succeeded the 18th century chapel in Stockwell Head.
The architect was John Loxton (of Loxton Brothers) of Wednesbury, the contractor Thomas Foxon and Son of the Mineral Baths, Ashby Road, Hinckley.
Initial cost for the building was £6,301 plus £900 for the site. The Chapel was built in red brick with ornamental stone dressings and a double arched portico, it was also flanked by tall Corinthian columns.
07-Nov-1878 The Chapel was opened to the public and the Hinckley News were there to write an account of the opening, the article was released on Saturday 09-Nov-1878.
'The building... presents a noble appearance, the front, facing new building, being of the Italianate style of architecture, built of patent pressed red bricks, with cement facings.
The interior of the building is strikingly beautiful, the ornamental portions of the work being of very elegant design. The gallery occupies three sides of the building, and at the end behind the pulpit is an orchestra for organ and choir. The open stalls will accommodate in a comfortable manner over 800 persons. The warming and lighting arrangements are on the most approved principles. The gas pendants, in the form of stars, are suspended from the centre flowers on the ceiling. Underneath the chapel are school-rooms which will accommodate 400 children... The amount of the contract is nearly six thousand pounds' (Hinckley News, 09-Nov-1878)
June 1890 Saw the Chapel undertake some work for repairs, cleaning, painting and decorating.
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| The Wesleyan Chapel |
1903 The chapel was refurbished and renovated. The decorations that were carried out was the ceiling which was done in blues and creams, picked out with gold. The walls were in terra-cotta with a green dado, and with a lot of stencilling in green and red picked out in gold. The whole of the work was painted, and there was is not a bit of paper inside the whole building.
The front of the gallery, which was formerly varnished, was changed to a light green and gold. The front of the orchestra was been brought further forward and room was made for another row of seats, this having necessitated the pulpit being moved a little forward. All the pews were cleaned down and re-varnished, and in the gallery some fall-down seats for special occasions had been put in. The cocoa-matting in the aisles had been replaced by cork carpets, and umbrella stands were placed at the ends of the pews.
An improvement had also been effected in the illumination of the building, and a fresh heating apparatus on the hot air system installed.
The architects were Ball & Heaton (who would go on to design the Co-operative Bakery along Well Lane), every detail of the entire scheme as regards style, pattern and colour had the personal approval of Mr Heaton and Mr John Abbott of Hinckley was the contractor, and Mr C.W.Summers was the sub-contractor and plasterer. The overall cost came to nearly £600.
01-Oct-1969 The last service in the building took place.
12-Oct-1969 The chapel was closed and then demolished soon afterwards to make way for the building of an office block.
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| Methodist Wesleyan Chapel | |
