Historic England Listing

HISTORIC ENGLAND LISTING NUMBER 1393883

GRADE II LISTED STATUS (Edited)

The buildings, since 1st September 2013 known as The Heritage Chapel and Halls, previously the Hope Methdist Church, fronting onto Park Road, Rushden, were granted a Grade II listing on 4th May 2005.


The Chapel

The foundation stones were laid on Easter Tuesday, 5th April 1904, and the building opening on Easter Monday, 24th April 1905.

The building occupies a north-east corner site at the junction of Park Road with Griffith Street.  At the corner is a massive square tower, ornamented with battlements, and which originally terminated in a lead-covered wooden spire but which was removed in 1986.  At the south-east corner is a low staircase tower with parapet and pyramidal roof and with an entrance to Park Road.

Between the two towers, and facing Park Road, is the main entrance.  The main porch and vestibules have Terrazzo paving - the work having been done by Italians.  Between the vestibules and the body of the chapel are several coloured-glass panels in subdued tints with elaborate leading in Art Nouveau style.

The sides of the church have two tiers of arched 3-light windows and the transepts project with a 4-light window on both tiers.  The north transept gallery window bears a scroll containing the words, "God is light. God is love", whilst the south transept window has the words, "Serve the Lord with gladness".  At the east end of the church, over the porch, is a 5-light window which contains the text, "Rejoice in the Lord".  All the main windows have coloured glass and patterned leading.

The church has a wide gallery on three sides supported on iron columns.  Behind the pulpit, which was remodelled as a Second World War memorial, is a further, choir gallery.

There is an almost complete set of contemporary pews on both ground floor and in the galleries.  The staircases to the galleries have fine cast-iron balustrades.  Seating was originally provided for approximately 735 adults, or a mixed congregation of adults and juveniles of 900.

There is an elaborate hammer-beam roof rising from curved braces with gables for the transepts and cusped panels between the beams and collars, above and to the sides being boarded.

The front of the galleries, the match-boarding and the roof are of pitch pine, and on the ground floor the flooring is of pitch pine blocks and which is sloped 4 inches higher at the rear of the church than at the communion rail.  The pews are of Oram wood, and the communion table and chairs are of solid carved oak.

 

The Listing Summary

The ensemble of church, meeting rooms and church hall has a very successful and picturesque view from Park Road and Griffith Street with the prominent tower at the corner, and the church interior is little-altered with fine glass and fittings surviving under an impressive roof.