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Description: Steep Lane Baptist Chapel and School

Address: Baptist Chapel Steep Lane Sowerby Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire

Grade: II

Group detail: Steep Lane (north side), Sowerby

Full description:
Baptist Chapel and School. Dated 1873 and 1874. Coursed squared stone, ashlar dressings, stone slate roof. Chapel gable on to road with school cross-wing to rear. Chapel: 2 storeys, 3 x 5 bays. Plinth, cill bands, 1st floor impost band, giant corner pilasters supporting corniced pediment, windows with glazing bars and margin lights. Central bay, of ashlar and breaking forward slightly, has steps up to panelled double door with overlight in architrave of pilasters supporting pedimented entablature, the entablature continuing to either side over side lights. Outer bays have square-headed windows on bracketed sills. 1st-floor windows are round-arched with archivolts and imposts, the central window tripartite with wider central light and keystone rising into cornice, above which is blocking course and oculus in console-bracketed architrave with leaf-moulded keystones and inscription '1874 Steep Lane'; a scroll and the blocking course below continue the inscription 'PARTICULAR' 'BAPTIST CHAPEL'. Returns have square-headed windows to ground floor, round-arched windows above, all with glazing bars and bracketed sills, plain gutter brackets; corniced stack at rear gable. On right return the gabled school-room at the right end, projecting slightly, is of 2 storeys with basement and 3 bays. It has square-headed windows to basement and ground floor, round-arched windows to 1st floor and oculus in gable. On its left return are steps up to a door set below window and date plaque with round-arched window above. Plaque reads "HEPZIBAH/1820/Peace be within this sacred place/And joy a constant guest/With holy gifts and heavenly grace/ Be her attendants blest". A stone above this is dated 1751 and one below inscribed 'SCHOOL 1873 CHAPEL 1874'. Interior: chapel has full gallery on cast-iron fluted Ionic columns; 3 plaster ceiling roundels with elaborate foliage decoration; turned balusters to pulpit railings; box pews; in ante chamber, open-string stair to gallery has turned balusters and moulded handrail. This building replaces a former chapel built on the site in 1820 which in turn replaced one situated just to the east and probably built in 1751 (when the first minister was here and the date on one of the stones in the school room wall).