Wainsgate Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Wainsgate Baptist Church is a redundant
chapel standing in an elevated position above the town of Hebden Bridge
, West Yorkshire
, England . The chapel and its attached school have been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building. The chapel is managed by the Historic Chapels Trust.
Revival and was inspired by Rev William Grimshaw, the incumbent
of Haworth
Parish Church. Its first minister was Richard
Smith from Barnoldswick
, and he was succeeded in 1764 by John Fawcett
. In 1772 Fawcett wrote the words of the hymn
Blessed Be the Tie that Binds
. The present chapel was built in 1859–60 and its furnishings were improved in the 1890s. The building attached to the back of the chapel was originally the manse
, and in 1890 it was adapted for use as a school. The church closed in 2001, and in 2004 the Historic Chapels Trust took over its care.
dressings, and rusticated
quoins
. It has a slate
roof, and is in two storeys. The entrance front is in three bays
. The doorway is in the centre of the lower storey and has panelled
pilaster
s. Over the door is a fanlight
with spandrel
s that is surmounted by a moulded
cornice
, and above this is a plaque bearing the date 1859. On each side of the door is a round-headed window and there are three similar windows in the upper storey, over which is a pediment
ed gable
. The chapel stretches back for four bays and contains similar windows to those in the entrance front. The school continues from the back of the chapel. At the far end of the school are doorways and three-light windows. In the gable is a Venetian window.
, and a platform surrounded by wooden rails containing the communion
table. Above these is a barrel roof
painted with stars on an azure
background. The pulpit was added to the church in 1891. It is octagonal and built in alabaster
and marble
s of different colours, decorated with shallow relief
s. It was designed by Anthony Welsh. The communion table dates from 1896. The rails surrounding the platform on which it stands are in oak, they have barley-twist baluster
s, and were made by J. W. Mitchell of Halifax
. The windows contain stained glass made by the Powell Brothers of Leeds
. In the centre of the ceiling is a pierced-work rose vent. Also in the church are monuments to Richard Smith and John Fawcett.
stone and consists of a chest tomb on a plinth
, and on its top is an overlapping slab bearing inscriptions. The tomb is surrounded by a low stone wall on which are cast iron
railings with spear finial
s. It is designated as a Grade II listed building. Also in the graveyard are First World War graves.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
chapel standing in an elevated position above the town of Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and lies 8 miles west of Halifax and 14 miles north east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the River Hebden .A 2004 profile of...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England . The chapel and its attached school have 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. The chapel is managed by the Historic Chapels Trust.
History
The church was founded for the Particular Baptists in 1750. It was created as a consequence of the 18th-century EvangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Revival and was inspired by Rev William Grimshaw, the incumbent
Incumbent (ecclesiastical)
In Anglican canon law, the incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:...
of Haworth
Haworth
Haworth is a rural village in the City of Bradford metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is located amongst the Pennines, southwest of Keighley and west of Bradford. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope...
Parish Church. Its first minister was Richard
Smith from Barnoldswick
Barnoldswick
Barnoldswick is a town and civil parish within the West Craven area of the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is built in the shadow of Weets Hill, and Stock Beck, a...
, and he was succeeded in 1764 by John Fawcett
John Fawcett (theologian)
John Fawcett was a British theologian, pastor and hymn writer.In 1765, John Fawcett became pastor of a small Baptist church at Wainsgate in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England. He served faithfully for seven years, despite a small income and a growing family much too large to be supported by...
. In 1772 Fawcett wrote the words of the hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
Blessed Be the Tie that Binds
Blessed Be the Tie that Binds
"Blessed Be the Tie that Binds" is a Christian hymn text written by John Fawcett. It is often sung to a tune composed by Hans Georg Nägeli.The hymn is featured in all three acts of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town.-Lyric:...
. The present chapel was built in 1859–60 and its furnishings were improved in the 1890s. The building attached to the back of the chapel was originally the manse
Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
, and in 1890 it was adapted for use as a school. The church closed in 2001, and in 2004 the Historic Chapels Trust took over its care.
Structure
The church is constructed in hammer-dressed stone, with ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings, and rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
. It has a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof, and is in two storeys. The entrance front is in three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
. The doorway is in the centre of the lower storey and has 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....
pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. Over the door is a fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
with spandrel
Spandrel
A spandrel, less often spandril or splaundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure....
s that is surmounted by a moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, and above this is a plaque bearing the date 1859. On each side of the door is a round-headed window and there are three similar windows in the upper storey, over which is a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed 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...
. The chapel stretches back for four bays and contains similar windows to those in the entrance front. The school continues from the back of the chapel. At the far end of the school are doorways and three-light windows. In the gable is a Venetian window.
Fittings and furniture
The first three bays inside the church contain a curved gallery with curved pews. In the furthest bay is the organ, the pulpitPulpit
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...
, and a platform surrounded by wooden rails containing the communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
table. Above these is a barrel roof
Barrel roof
A barrel roof is a curved roof that, especially from below, is curved like a cut-away barrel. They have some advantages over dome roofs, especially being able to cover rectangular buildings., due to their uniform cross-section....
painted with stars on an azure
Azure (color)
The color bleu de France is displayed at right.Bleu de France is a color that has been associated in heraldry with the Kings of France since the 12th century.-Brandeis blue:...
background. The pulpit was added to the church in 1891. It is octagonal and built in alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
s of different colours, decorated with shallow relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
s. It was designed by Anthony Welsh. The communion table dates from 1896. The rails surrounding the platform on which it stands are in oak, they have barley-twist baluster
Baluster
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, and were made by J. W. Mitchell of Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
. The windows contain stained glass made by the Powell Brothers of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. In the centre of the ceiling is a pierced-work rose vent. Also in the church are monuments to Richard Smith and John Fawcett.
External features
In the graveyard is the tomb of John Fawcett who died in 1817. It is constructed in ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone and consists of a chest tomb on a plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
, and on its top is an overlapping slab bearing inscriptions. The tomb is surrounded by a low stone wall on which are cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
railings with spear finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. It is designated as a Grade II listed building. Also in the graveyard are First World War graves.