Description

BRIXHAM

SX9256SW FORE STREET, Lower Brixham
1946-1/10/151 (South East side)
18/10/49 Methodist Church including front
steps and railings
(Formerly Listed as:
FORE STREET
(South side)
Methodist Chapel)

GV II

Methodist chapel. 1816, altered 1871 and 1981. Latter by WG
Couldrey, Son & Partners, Paignton. Solid rendered walls; some
stone rubble exposed in side walls. Hipped slated roof.
A simple oblong plan with entrance lobby and gallery
staircases on the south; rostrum (rebuilt 1981) on north;
galleries on the other 3 sides. Classical style.
2 storeys raised on a high basement. 5-bay front, 5 windows
wide. Round-headed central doorway has panelled double-doors
incised with key-pattern; panelled reveals; elaborated cobweb
fanlight. In front of it a deep Doric porch with eccentric
capitals, the front columns probably of iron; flat modillioned
hood with foliated boss on soffit. The porch stands on a
raised terrace approached by stone steps to left and right. At
foot of each flight of steps is a pair of square gate piers
with stepped pyramidal caps; simple iron gates, almost
certainly later replacements.
Between the gates and across the whole front of the terrace is
the original iron railing with fluted uprights and standards
having spear-head finials. The front is arranged in 5 bays
flanked and separated by pilaster strips; raised band above
each storey, breaking forward over the strips; upper band
surmounted by a parapet. Windows round-arched with 3 large
panes in centre and 6 margin-panes at either side; radial bars
in the head. The 2 windows flanking the doorway have a
slightly different glazing pattern, probably because they were
originally doorways: 8 small panes in the centre with 8
margin-panes at either side, radial bars in the head with a
dentil-course beneath them. Round-arched windows in both side
walls and in both storeys, those in lower tier foreshortened.
Glazing similar to front, but with smaller middle panes; some
old glass.
INTERIOR considerably altered in late C19 (new seating and
gallery fronts) and 1981 (entrance lobby and rostrum
remodelled). The iron columns supporting the gallery, which
curves at the north end, appear to be original; late C19
panelled gallery fronts with diagonal planking, the rail above
carried on scrolled iron uprights. Fixed to the north gallery
front is a large round clock inscribed MINCHINTON. BRIXHAM.
Panelled dado, probably original, in ground storey. Panelled
ceiling. Organ, now in north gallery, is shown behind rostrum
in 1933 photo kept in the church; it seems to have been newly
installed at that date.
(The Buildings of England: Cherry B: Devon (2nd ed): 1989-:
831).

Listing NGR: SX9242356019

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26580444

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover