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Reference no. 1227399


Description: Wainsgate Baptist Church and attached Sunday School (formerly listed as Wainsgate Baptist Chapel, Old Town)

Address: Wainsgate Baptist Church Wainsgate Lane Wadsworth Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire

Grade: IISTAR

Group detail: Wainsgate Lane

Full description:
Chapel and sunday school, dated 1859. Hammer-dressed stone, ashlar dressings, rusticated quoins, slate roof. 2 storeys. 3-bay symmetrical front with pedimented gable. Doorway with panelled pilasters, panel over containing fanlight and spandrels capped by moulded cornice; date plaque above. 4-bay return continued by school range has similar windows to front; archivolt arched windows with console keys in architraves. Moulded eaves cornice. The school range has console-bracketed eaves and shaped kneelers to gable end, quoins. Possibly reuses materials from the 1806 chapel and manse. West elevation has 2 doorways with monolithic jambs and cornices on consoles and 2 bays of 3-light windows, taller on 1st floor. Simple Venetian window in gable. Interior: Complete c1860 furnishings. Gallery with curved end on pews, ornately carved oak rails to platform by Mitchells of Halifax. Ornate marble pulpit with alabaster panels, good base relief designed by Anthony Welsh 1891 and donated by the Mitchell family who gave the stained glass, by Powell Brothers of Leeds between 1859-1900. The archway of the deep organ loft has ornate Finceaux work. The organ loft wagon roof retains original star spangled azure colour scheme but the original elaborate stencilwork decoration of the body of the chapel has been over-painted. Ornate, partly pendant pierced-work rose vent in centre of ceiling. Wall monuments to John Fawcett and to Richard Smith first minister who died in 1817. Wainsgate is an early Baptist site, the chapel being founded in 1759 by the famous Baptist preacher and author John Fawcett DD, also associated with Heptonstall Slack and Hebden Bridge Chapels (q.q.v.), whose tomb (q.v.) is in the graveyard.


Last updated: 20/05/2025