Description

WINSFORD FORMER U.D. SWANLOW LANE
SJ 66 NW
4/109 The Congregational
Church.
GV II
Church. 1864-5. By John Douglas. Flemish bond brick with ashlar
dressings and slate roof. The body of the church has a slightly
projecting plinth of blue brick with alternating bands of red and
white brick above and some diapered patterns. The roof is also
diapered with grey, green and mauve slates arranged in patterns.
Nave, projecting porch at Eastern end with gallery over and organ
chamber of c.1900 to south-west. Eastern front: three central
projecting bays with porch below and gallery over with clasping
buttresses at sides which continue, forming small square turrets with
the gable between and staircase quadrants to sides. Central recessed
porch of three bays forming an arcade-screen with round columns of
grey granite supported on bases of red sandstone ashlar with crocket
capitals of similar material. Ovolo-moulded arches above with
voussoirs of alternating red and white brick. Continuous hood-mould
above with label stops of figurehead and floral design. Above the
porch is a band of diamond patterned diapering and above this a corbel
table of white brick connecting with a continuous sill below the three
central gallery windows. The central one of these rises higher than
the other two and each has two round-arched lights with a round window
above. Diapering to gable and moulded surround beneath eaves which
have stone coping. The lateral turrets have stone capping pieces with
gablets and crocketed finials. Quadrants to sides have single-light
staircase windows. South side: staircase quandrant at right with
clasping buttress to left of this. Four bays with buttresses between
having ashlar offsets. Two-light slightly recessed windows with
ashlar surrounds of plate tracery each of two arched lights with
porthole to apex. Round-headed relieving arches with voussoirs of
alternating red and white brick. Square organ chamber to left with
canted corners and octagonal pyramidal roof terminated by a wrought
iron finial. North front similar to south save for absence of organ
chamber. West end: square vestry to left with canted corners and
with hipped roof terminating in wrought iron finial (the model for the
later organ chamber). Lean to porch entrance to lower central
walling. C20 church hall extension to right. Above these is a
central rose window of plate tracery formed of a single round light
surrounded by eight others. Pilaster buttresses to either side of
this wing to form small turrets as at the east end, the difference
here being that the left hand one terminates as a chimney. Ashlar
coping stones to gable. The roof has three gabled louvres to each
side.

Listing NGR: SJ6402165840

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Over United Reformed Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7113431

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)