Cote Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Cote Baptist Church stands in Shifford Road, Cote
, 1 miles (2 km) to the east of Aston
and 4 miles (6 km) to the east of Bampton
, in Oxfordshire
, England. It is a redundant Baptist chapel, now in the care of the Historic Chapels Trust, and has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
, a village on the other side of the River Thames
, in the middle of the 17th century. The land for a chapel in Cote was given by John Williams in 1703 and the chapel built on the land was licensed for marriages the following year. In the 1750s it was either rebuilt or enlarged, and a gallery was added in 1756. In the late 1850s the chapel was extensively restored, and the double gable
at the front was replaced by a single gable, which hid the roof valley behind it. At the same time, the chapel was re-floored and the vestries
were enlarged, new pews and galleries were added, and a new pulpit
was placed at the west end which replaced the previous pulpit on the south wall. An organ by Henry Jones of London was added in 1867, and electric light was installed in 1948.
rubble
and has a stone slate roof. It is in two storeys and its plan consists of a single cell with a single-storey extension. Its architectural style is Georgian
. The entrance front has a flat-topped gable surmounted by a plaque with scrolls at each end. In the lower storey is a central window with a semicircular arch, which stands between two doors. In the upper storey and elsewhere in the building are windows in a similar style. All the internal fittings date from 1869, and include box pew
s with hinged doors and, at the west end, a pulpit with a panelled
front, a reader's desk and a lectern
.
s; it is a Grade II listed building.
Cote, Oxfordshire
Cote is a hamlet about south of Witney and north of the River Thames in West Oxfordshire, England. Cote is part of the civil parish of Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney...
, 1 miles (2 km) to the east of Aston
Aston, Oxfordshire
Aston is a village about south of Witney in West Oxfordshire, England. It is also 3.3 Miles from Ducklington. The village is part of the civil parish of Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney. The southern boundary of the parish is the River Thames.-History:Until the 19th century Aston was a township...
and 4 miles (6 km) to the east of Bampton
Bampton, Oxfordshire
Bampton, also called Bampton-in-the-Bush, is a village and civil parish in the Thames Valley about southwest of Witney in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Weald....
, in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England. It is a redundant Baptist chapel, now in the care of the Historic Chapels Trust, and has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building.
Early history
The congregation of Baptists who built the chapel originated in LongworthLongworth
Longworth is a village and civil parish about west of Abingdon and a similar distance east of Faringdon and south of Witney. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire...
, a village on the other side of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, in the middle of the 17th century. The land for a chapel in Cote was given by John Williams in 1703 and the chapel built on the land was licensed for marriages the following year. In the 1750s it was either rebuilt or enlarged, and a gallery was added in 1756. In the late 1850s the chapel was extensively restored, and the double gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
at the front was replaced by a single gable, which hid the roof valley behind it. At the same time, the chapel was re-floored and the vestries
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
were enlarged, new pews and galleries were added, and a new pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
was placed at the west end which replaced the previous pulpit on the south wall. An organ by Henry Jones of London was added in 1867, and electric light was installed in 1948.
Architecture, fittings and furniture
The chapel is constructed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
and has a stone slate roof. It is in two storeys and its plan consists of a single cell with a single-storey extension. Its architectural style is Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
. The entrance front has a flat-topped gable surmounted by a plaque with scrolls at each end. In the lower storey is a central window with a semicircular arch, which stands between two doors. In the upper storey and elsewhere in the building are windows in a similar style. All the internal fittings date from 1869, and include box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s with hinged doors and, at the west end, a pulpit with a panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
front, a reader's desk and a lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
.
Recent history and present day
The chapel was taken over in 1993 by the Historic Chapels Trust. A restoration programme costing £250,000 was carried out and the building was reopened in 2000. The restoration included the provision of a kitchen, toilets, and committee rooms. The building is available to hire for concerts, conferences and other events. It is licensed for weddings. The surrounding burial ground is unlocked and is available for public access. The church community now meets in the Cote Fellowship Centre.External features
Around the chapel is a burial ground containing headstones, some of which date from the 18th century and are elaborately carved. It contains the chest tomb of William Williams who died in 1830. This tomb is constructed in limestone and has corner balusterBaluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s; it is a Grade II listed building.