St John's Wesleyan Chapel School etc. Prince's Park Liverpool

LIVERPOOL – The chief stone of a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, to be erected in Belvidere Road, Prince’s Park, and to be dedicated to St John, has been laid. The site is on a slope, and the north-east or main façade faces the Belvidere Road, and the communion end of the edifice, with schools, extends to Rodney Street. The style is Decorated, and the materials used for the external walls of both chapel and schools are Yorkshire stone, pitched face or par-points, the quoin stones and dressings being of cut Stourton Hill stones. The chapel itself consists of a nave in one span, 39 feet wide and 90 feet long, with transepts on each side, measuring internally 24 feet by 15 feet, and separated from the nave by moulded pointed arches, inclosing side galleries, having traceried fronts, in a line with the side walls of the nave. In the nave. In the nave itself there will be only a small gallery over the front entrance, for the use of the organist and choir; and at the opposite extremity (towards Rodney Street) an arched recess for the communion, having at its rear a large five-light traceried window. In front of this recess will stand the pulpit. All the roofs throughout will be open-timbered, wrought and varnished on their exposed surface, the height of the nave roof being upwards of 50 feet. The length of the chapel will be divided into seven bays, or severies, each bay being lighted by a large three-light traceried window on each side of the nave, and having its roof divided from the bays adjoining by principal trusses, with curved braces, hammer beams etc, springing from moulded stone corbels, placed nearly half-way down the side walls. The whole of the seats in the chapel will be constructed of pitch-pine, varnished, and will afford accommodation for about 950 persons, the ends of the seats being enriched with Gothic tracery. Externally the building will present, on its principal front to Belvidere Road, a lofty gable, flanked on each side by octagonal turrets, giving access to the nave and organ gallery, and rising to a height of 85 feet, exclusive of their metal vanes. Between these turrets, in the centre of the façade, will be the principal entrance, through a double shafted doorway, crowned with a traceried canopy; above it a large four-light double shafted window with traceried head. The side windows of the edifice, already described wll be separated by stone buttresses with gabled canopies disposed in couples at the angle of each transept; these transepts themselves having gabled roofs, somewhat lower than those of the nave and being lighted by two stories of traceried windows (the upper ones being shafted) of four lights, and containing within the arched beads a large Catharine wheel. The roofs will be slated and finished with ornamental ridge tiles, and the windows, we understand, are to be glazed with cathedral glass. The school buildings at the rear are designed so as to harmonise with the external architecture of the chapel. They comprise internally on the ground floor, a large infants’ school with four classrooms, and minister’s vestry; and on the upper floor a school-room measuring 64 feet in length by 30 feet in width. At the rear of these schools will be an open playground and suitable buildings. The architects are Messrs Hayley and Son of Manchester; and the contract has been taken by Mr William Bateman, of Liverpool, builder, for about £6,600. [Builder 19 October 1861 Page 721]

St. John's Chapel, Liverpool, opened in February last, capable of seating 1,000 persons, with schools, etc., is a good example of modern Methodistical architecture. The entire range is described as a fine group of stone buildings, erected in the early style of Pointed architecture, its principal front consisting of a bold gable, embellished with a large four-light traceried window, the richly-moulded doorways being flanked on each side by a lofty turret and spire - “a finger,” as the good George Herbert would have said, “everlastingly pointing to Heaven.” The plan of the chapel “consists of a nave, 89 ft. by 39 ft., having an organ gallery over the main front entrance; transepts, 24 ft. by 14 ft., containing galleries approached by side staircases of stone, and a small chancel, 17 ft. by 7 ft., separated from the nave, as are the transepts, by boldly-moulded arches resting on moulded piers. The school buildings are in the same style as the chapel, with less elaboration. The entire outlay was over £4,000. The architects were Messrs. Hayley and Son, of Manchester; and the builder, Mr. William Bateman, of Liverpool. [Building News 3 July 1863 page 504]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 14 May 1859 Page 2 (Contracts)
Reference    Builder 19 October 1861 Page 721 with extensive note
Reference    Building News 3 July 1863 page 504