Description

UPOTTERY
ST 10 NE
6/110 Newhouse Baptist Church
-
GV II
Baptist church, considered the mother church of the district. Founded 1652, rebuilt
1859 with schoolroom added in 1912. The chapel is plastered local stone and flint
rubble with Membury stone ashlar detail, the schoolroom is exposed local stone and
flint rubble with brick dressings; slate roof.
Plan: small chapel on north-south axis with preaching desk at the north end and
gallery at the south end. Also south porch. The school room extension projects at
right angles from the north end of the rear (east) side.
Exterior: the west side has a 3-window front of tall lancet windows containing
diamond panes of leaded glass. Tile roof is gable-ended with shaped kneelers, coping
and ball finials. The south end is the entrance front and there is a central gabled
porch (with shaped kneelers, coping and ball finials like those of the main roof)
and it has a 2-centred outer arch. Another 2-centred arch to the south doorway
behind. This porch is flanked by lancet windows and there is another over the
porch. In the gable there is a stone plaque inscribed "This Baptist Chapel was
founded in the year 1652 in the time of the Five Mile Act. Chapel rebuilt in 1859."
The schoolroom also has tall lancet windows but these have Y-tracery glazing bars.
Interior: of the church is complete as built in 1859. There is a 4-bay roof of
king post trusses. The box pews, the rostrum, the gallery supported on octagonal
posts are all original and so too are the 4 ornate wrought iron hanging lamps (now
converted to electricity).
Newhouse is an attractive and remarkably intact Baptist Church of 1859.
Nevertheless it is more important for its history. The church was founded as a
Particular and Calvanistic Baptist Church in 1652 although it is believed that
Baptists had been worshipping in the area for some years (choosing a place near the
borders of three counties and five parishes to avoid persecution). The early
church documents apparently record early worshippers from Tiverton, Exeter, Honiton,
Wellington and Taunton. The site is supposed to have been the gift of Nicholas
Code from nearby Moonhayes Farmhouse (q.v) and whose monument (q.v) is in the
burial ground adjoining.
Source: Church guide. C. Stell Inventory of Non-Conformist Chapels RCHM
(forthcoming).

Listing NGR: ST1969209969

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26618413

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.

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