Description

SK 38/3925 PARISH OF MELBOURNE HIGH STREET
6/112 (South Side)
United Reform Church
GV II
Church. 1871. Rock faced stone with stone dressings, flush
hands at impost level to east and west elevations, ceramic tile
band at similar level to north elevation and stone plinth.
Slate roof with crested ridge tiles, bands of hexagonal slates
and small gabled vents with trefoil headed openings, plus stone
coped gables on moulded kneelers and coved eaves bands. Nave,
with transept and chancel bays and small tower to north-east
corner. Northern street elevation has an eared gable, clasping
buttresses to either side and rock faced relieving Birches over
all the windows. Central triple lancet with plate tracery to
head of central lancet is flanked by single chamfered lancets.
Below there is a central stone inscribed 'Memorial Stone Laid
April 1871', and above there is a central plate tracery rose
window set in a rock faced circle with four ashlar keyblocks.
Above again there is a small blind lozenge shaped niche.
Attached to east side, slightly recessed, is the two stage tower
which has a single chamfered lancet to north side and a similar
pointed doorcase to east, plus angle buttresses. Above each
side has a central blind quatrefoil in circular surround with
continuous hoodmould over. Above again the corners cut in, to
form an octagonal base for the spire above, with gableted blind
trefoil headed niches on four sides. East elevation has three
chamfered lancets, each with plate tracery to head, with
buttresses between and a transept bay to south with clasping
corner buttresses, 2-light plate tracery window facing east and
quatrefoil window above. West elevation similar but with one
more lancet. South elevation has lower canted chancel bay with
hipped roof and quatrefoil windows to angled sides. Interior
has original arched braced roof on carved corbels with pierced
ironwork spandrels, a continuous band of ceramic tiles at impost
level and a double chamfered pointed arch into the chancel bay
supported by column corbels with carved capitals and bases.
Chancel has a large painted contemporary organ to the back and
benches to either side with pierced arcading to front and bench
ends with foliage poppy heads, also metal railings to front with
carved stops to the ends of the wooden rail. Timber pulpit to
west has pierced trefoils to the front panel and stone font to
east also with carved trefoils. To west side of the pulpit is a
cinquefoil shaped alabaster wall plaque to Rev Henry Bannister
who built the church.

Listing NGR: SK3856525149

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26388671

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

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)