Preston Central Methodist Church Explained

Preston Central Methodist Church
Pushpin Map:United Kingdom Preston central
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Map Caption:Location in Preston
Location:Lune Street, Preston, Lancashire
Country:England
Coordinates:53.7585°N -2.7032°W
Osgraw:SD 537 294
Membership:69[1]
Attendance:96[2]
Website:Preston Central Methodist Church
Former Name:Preston Central Wesleyan Methodist Church
Functional Status:Active
Heritage Designation:Grade II
Designated Date:27 September 1979
Architect:Poulton and Woodman (remodelling)
Architectural Type:Church
Groundbreaking:1817
Completed Date:1818 with further alterations in 1863
Construction Cost:£6,000
Materials:Brick, sandstone façade, slate roof
Circuit:Preston Ribble Methodist
District:Lancashire
Minister:Revd Sue Griffiths[3]

Preston Central Methodist Church is in Lune Street, Preston, Lancashire, England. It is an active Methodist church in the Preston Ribble Methodist Circuit, and the Lancashire district. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

History

The church was built in 1817 as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel. It cost £6,000, and was one of the first public buildings in the country to be lit by gas. It was remodelled in 1862–63 by Poulton and Woodman. In the 1990s a hall in the church was converted into sleeping accommodation for the poor and homeless, and the entrance area was enlarged, allowing for the creation of a coffee shop, kitchen, crèche, and toilets. Improvements were made in the access to the front of the church in 2006.

Architecture

Exterior

The church is built in brick, with a front of sandstone ashlar and a slate roof. It has a rectangular plan, is in two storeys, and is sited at right angles to the street. The symmetrical entrance front faces east and contains a giant round-headed arch carried on two pairs of Corinthian columns. The surround of the arch is moulded, and above it is a moulded dentilled gable. At the top of the columns are moulded cornices, which are carried out over the lateral bays. These bays contain two round-headed windows with imposts and keystones, one in each storey. The lower windows are partly blocked with notice boards, and the upper windows contain circular geometric glazing. Under the arch, steps lead up to a recessed porch with doorways and a Venetian window. Along the sides of the church are two tiers of round-headed windows. At the rear of the church is a two-storey extension with gabled porches and round-headed doorways with fanlights.

Interior

Inside the church is a horseshoe-shaped gallery carried on thin cast iron columns with Ionic caps, and with a foliated balustrade. The ceiling is coffered with glazed panels in the centre. The original pipe organ was built by Gray and Davison and had two manuals. This was replaced in 1881 by a three-manual organ built by W. E. Richardson.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Circuit Membership Statistics Summary October 2015 - District: 21 Lancashire District. methodist.org.uk. Methodist Church in Britain. 25 October 2016. cs2.
  2. Web site: Circuit Attendance Statistics Summary October 2015. methodist.org.uk. Methodist Church in Britain. 25 October 2016. cs2.
  3. Web site: Blackett. Paul. About us. www.centralmethodist.org.uk. Preston Central Methodist Church. 25 October 2016. cs2.