Wesley's Chapel

Details

ISLINGTON

TQ3282SE CITY ROAD 635-1/76/265 (East side) 29/12/50 Wesley's Chapel

GV I

Methodist chapel; 'The Mother Church of World Methodism'. 1777-1778; the portico 1814-15; the rusticated piers, qoins, cornice to the outer bays, and stone architraves to the upper windows of 1891 by Elijah Hoole; the single-storey wings to either side probably of 1899 by Hoole. Brown brick laid in Flemish bond with dressings of yellow brick and stone, portico of stone, hipped roof of Welsh slate. Two storeys, five-window range. Central prostyle portico with coupled Greek Doric columns to either side, entablature with triglyph frieze and paterae modelled with the dove of peace; modified pediment to blocking course. The main facade is articulated by a slightly projecting centrepiece of three bays with broad rusticated piers to ground floor and chamfered quoins above; and by rusticated piers to the outside of the outer bays. Round-arched windows to both floors, those to ground floor with gauged brick heads and set in recessed, round-arched panels also with gauged brick heads; brick storey band. Upper windows round-arched with stone architraves, panelled aprons; stone cornice, fluted over the centrepiece; panelled parapet with stepped coping; hipped roof. Each side wing has a flat-arched entrance with architrave and cornice on consoles, double panelled doors, stone panel above, string course, cornice and parapet. Side walls and east end of brown brick, apse of stone. INTERIOR: : a single space originally, with the westernmost bay glazed off c.1975; shallow curved apse flanked by Corinthian columns, the round arch with panelled and ornamented soffit and floral decoration to the spandrels; reredos of three panels with fluted engaged columns and pilasters, and central open pediment. Gallery on three sides, curved at the west end, carried on Roman Doric columns of jasper, dating from 1899, with triglyph frieze and paterae modelled with the dove of peace; Greek key pattern to the gallery. Some of the original wooden columns are ranged along the west wall. Flat ceiling enriched with decorative plasterwork, a replica of the original destroyed by fire in 1879: central circular panel surrounded by rectangular panels and decorated with anthemion and acanthus ornament and Vitruvian scrolls. Fine mahogany panelled pulpit on an arcaded base with engaged and fluted columns at the corners: the pulpit being the top stage of the original three-decker. Oak pews throughout with openwork roundels in the pew ends, 1899. Much C19 and C20 stained glass, notably the second window from the east in the south wall, by Frank O. Salisbury, 1930; the two windows flanking the west door, 'Sir Galahad', and 'Elijah on Mount Carmel', by Frank O.Salisbury, 1932 and 1934 respectively; 'Saint John', at the east end of the north gallery, by Henry Holiday, 1900; and the two gallery windows in the north wall, 'The Wesleys' conversion', by James Powell and Sons, 1924, and 'John Wesley preaching' by Osborne and Philips, 1947. The interior of the Founder's Chapel, which is dated 1899 and much restored, is a single space with panelled dado, architraves to doors and windows, coved and panelled ceiling with central lantern, arched alcove to north, and chimneypiece with Art Nouveau detail, possibly inserted. (Information from Philip Temple, Survey of London).

Listing NGR: TQ3281082253

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

368750

Legacy System:

LBS

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