Blenheim Baptist Chapel Woodhouse Lane Leeds
LEEDS - For the erection of the Baptist Chapel, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. Drawings and specifications and conditions of contract may be seen at the offices of Messrs Richardson and Turner, solicitors, 27, East Parade, Leeds, after Monday, the 17th, to Saturday, the 22nd inst. Quantities supplied, and written applications for copies to be made to Messrs Paull and Ayliffe, architects, India‑buildings, Cross‑street, Manchester, before the 12th inst.[Building News 14 November 1862 p385]
BUILDERS - BAPTIST CHAPEL, WOODHOUSE-LANE, LEEDS: Drawings and Specification and Conditions of Contract may be seen at the offices of Messrs Richardson and Turner, Solicitors, 27. East Parade, Leeds, after Monday the 17th, to Saturday the 22nd inst. Quantities supplied, and written applications for copies to be made to us before Wednesday the 12th inst. Tenders may be for the whole of the works or in the separate trades. PAULL and AYLIFFE, Architects, India- buildings Cross Street, Manchester. Nov. 3, 1862. [Leeds Inteligencer 8 November 1862 page 4]
LAYING THE MEMORIAL STONE OF BLENHEIM CHAPEL, LEEDS. The ceremony of laying the memorial stone of Blenheim chapel, now in course of erection in Woodhouse- lane, took place yesterday. …. The new building is being erected under the superintendence of the architects, Messrs. Paull and Ayliffe, of Manchester, whose design was selected from several others submitted in a limited competition in the autumn of last year. It will comprise a chapel capable of seating 600 persons, a school room, 56 feet by 30 feet, a lecture room for week evening services, a class room with raised gallery for sixty infants, four other class rooms, three good vestries, and other apartments. The front of the chapel is towards Woodhouse- lane, and will exhibit a well-proportioned elevation 60 feet high to the apex of the gable. In this front will be a central and two side entrances; the former leading to the ground floor seats, and the latter to the galleries, but all communicating In the front gable will be a three-light window with simple traceried head. The side elevations are to correspond in general features and workmanship with the front, an arrangement especially to be commended on account of the building being' exposed to view from both directions. The side next Blackman-lane, coupled by a low roof with the gable end of the school will present a very pleasing aspect; and when the whole group of buildings is completed, this part of Leeds (judging by a lithographed sketch) will have received a very tasteful structure of modern ecclesiastical architecture. For the present the chapel will appear somewhat short in proportion to its width and height; the intention being eventually to take down the front elevation and re-erect it in an advanced position, and thus increase the accommodation of sittings to about 1,000. The style of the buildings is Gothic in character, adapted to special circumstances, but no sacrifice of comfort or of Strict adaptation to the purposes required will in any respect be made to medieval conventional forms. Internally, the plan of the chapel will consist of a nave forty feet wide, with transepts and. an apsidal recess. In the latter, and behind the pulpit, will be a gallery for an organ, (the floor of which will be level with the pulpit floor) and seats approached by a separate entrance for the choir. The arches to transepts and organ recess are being erected with white and red bricks of superior manufacture, and promise to be very effective. Externally also red bricks are introduced around the windows and doorways; the aim of the architects being |to relieve the monotonous colour of the stone facings. The side galleries are to be only two seats deep, with a passage, and the same will for the present be carried across the front end. The chapel will thus be equally complete in itself, and well adapted for seeing and hearing, and will possess a comfortable internal aspect, whether for the lesser or 'the greater accommodation. 'The roof is to be constructed with an inner ceiling of semi-octagonal shape-the beams to show and to be stained and varnished, with plaster between. There will, be no doors to the seats. The school arrangements are designed to be very complete. The class rooms, etc., occupy the ground floor, and the large school room is placed above them, having separate stone staircases for boys and girls. On the ground floor a passage runs through the length of the school building between it and the chapel, by which communication is obtained to and from all the apartments. In connection with the schoolroom a tea room is provided, fitted up with boiler and all appliances for tea meetings. A large store is also provided. The general contractor for the whole of the works is Mr John Wood, of Woodhouse, the amount being £3,026, exclusive of lighting, heating, boundary fences, and furniture, etc., which will probably swell the expenditure to about £3,500, and to this will have to be added the architects' commission, salary of clerk of works, cost of land, and other items. [Leeds Mercury 7 April 1863 page 3]
LEEDS —The memorial stone of Blenheim Chapel, Leeds, was laid on Monday. The new building is being erected under the superintendence of the architects, Messrs. Paull and Ayliffe, of Manchester, whose design was selected from several others sub- mitted in a limited competition in the autumn of last year. It will comprise a chapel capable of seating 600 persons, a school-room, 50 ft. by 30 ft., a lecture-room for week evening, services, a class-room with raised gallery for 60 infants, four other class-rooms, three vestries, and other apartments. The front of the chapel is towards Woodhouse-lane, and will exhibit an elevation 60 ft. high to the apex of the gable. In this front there will be a central and two side entrances; the former leading to the £ seats, and the latter to the galleries, but all communicating. In the front gable there will be a three-light window with simple traceried head. The side elevations are to correspond in general features and workmanship with the front. For the present the chapel will appear somewhat short in £ to its width and height; the intention being eventually to take down the front elevation and re-erect it at an advanced position, and thus increase the accommodation of sittings to about 1,000. The style of the buildings is Gothic in character. Internally the plan of the chapel will consist of a nave, 40 ft. wide, with transepts and an apsidal recess. In the latter, and behind the pulpit, will be a gallery for an organ (the floor of which will be level with the pulpit floor) and seats approached by a separate entrance for the choir. The arches to transepts and organ recess are being erected with white and red bricks of superior manufacture. Externally also red bricks are introduced round the windows and doorways. The side galleries are to be only two seats deep, with a passage, and the same will for the present be carried across the front end. The roof is to be constructed with an inner ceiling of semi- octagonal shape—the beams to show, and to be stained and varnished, with plaster between. The general contractor is Mr. John Wood, of Woodhouse, the amount being £3,026, exclusive of lighting, heating, boundary fences, and furniture, &c., which will probably swell the expenditure to about £3,500, and to this will have to be added the architects' commission, salary of clerk of works, cost of land, and other items. [Building News 10 April 1863 page 282]
LEEDS —On Easter Monday the memorial stone of Blenheim (Baptist) Chapel, was laid by the mayor of Leeds. The new building is situated at the corner of Blackman-lane, Woodhouse-lane, and is to cost upwards of £3,500. It will comprise a chapel capable of seating 600 persons, a school-room, 56 feet by 30 feet, a lecture-room for week evening services, a class-room for sixty infants, four other class-rooms, three vestries, and other apartments. The front of the chapel is towards Woodhouse-lane, and will exhibit an elevation 60 feet high to the apex of the gable. The Gothic style of architecture is adopted; and, internally, the plan of the chapel will consist of a nave 40 feet wide, with transepts and an apsidal recess. In the latter, and behind the pulpit, will be a gallery for an organ (the floor of which will be level with the pulpit floor), and seats approached by a separate entrance for the choir. The architects are Messrs Paul & Ayliffe, of Manchester, and the contractor, Mr J. Wood, Woodhouse. [Builder 18 April 1863 page 282]
Reference Building News 14 November 1862 page 385
Reference Leeds Mercury 7 April 1863 page 3 – foundation stone
Reference Building News 10 April 1863 page 282
Reference Builder 18 April 1863 page 282
Reference A great Victorian chapel: the building of Blenheim Chapel, Leeds; John Goodchild : Victorian Soc. West Yorkshire Group. Jnl Citation: 1982/1983, p. 2 5.