Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 15/06/2020
SO 7745 SE
6/50
GREAT MALVERN
WELLS ROAD (East Side)
No 41
(Formerly listed as No 41 (Emmanuel Evangelical Church))
GV
II
Former Non-conformist Chapel. 1874, by George and Henry Haddon.Hammer-dressed ashlar, with plain ashlar dressings to walls, walls rendered below road level on sides, slate roof, lead finish to spire. 'T' plan, head to road, four-bay main body with wide gable to road, tower and spire project on left, lean-to on right: set on steep slope to east, one storey below road.
General: Norman revival. Windows to main body of church and tower have leaded lights, roll moulding to arris of main arch, with alternate red and cream voussoirs, hoodmould above.
Main facade to road, three-stage tower on left; lower two stages with recessed centre, on either side low plinth, with tall, steep, plain ashlar offset above and string course: string course extends as springing to archway to doorway in recess, semi-circular head as windows:double boarded doors, semi-circular light over, single recessed order with colonnette in angle. Above, further string course at window sill level to second stage, with plain ashlar course above: two-light window in recess, divided by central column; semi-circular heads to lights with roll moulding to arris on each, extending down jambs on each side; above plate tracery with central circular light, all within semi-circular main arch linking the sides, springing from a string course with capitals at each corner. Above tall, plain ashlar offset; 3-light belfry window, lights divided by columns, each light with two louvres and semi-circular head with hoodmould. String course on either side; at springing level.Corbelled arched eaves in plain ashlar, with spire above, with lucarne, and decorative wrought-iron weathervane on apex. To right, main gable of church, three two-stage recessed arches, centre wider than sides. Low plinth as tower, slightly projecting porch in centre, with offset on returns, moulded string with corner capitals, forming springing to semi-circular arched doorway, head as main windows. Door and doorway as tower. Gable to porch, with stone coping roof, floriate stone finial apex. Either side in recesses two-light windows, each with trefoil head inside a semi-circular arch, flat hoodmould over. Above, string course, plain ashlar course above, extending similar from tower, and acting as window sill in the gable. In centre recess three-light window, framed with narrow plain ashlar band with roll moulding, lights separated by columns, all with trefoil heads, in the side-lights under semicircular arches, in the centre a stilted pointed arch, all set under a plain ashlar arch with alternating voussoirs of red and cream, main arch above, springing from moulded string course extending that in the second stage to the tower. In the recesses on each side two-light windows, as in the second stage of tower, but slightly narrower. Above, in the centre of the gable a plain trefoil, with arched hoodmould, rising from corbels carved with figures: 'IN VIRTUTE VICTORIA' carved in trefoil. Projecting verge to gable, stepped corbelled arches, with slight saw-toothed projection above: plain copings with moulded edge, cross gablet at foot on right, steep cross gablet apex carrying stone cross with circle. To right of main gable low lean-to, plinth, plain, single-light window with semi-circular head, plain copings, cross-gablet at foot.
Right return: single bay lean-to on left, plinth, plain wall above, plain projecting eaves, cross gablets to feet of gable copings. Plain wall to main body of church above: immediately on right square, buttress-like projection with cross-gablet trefoil to offset. Lower part not inspected. Steps down against end wall of lean-to; lower level to main body of church, half-glazed four-panel door on left, flat head; to right two sixteen-pane sashes with flat heads, dummy recess beyond. Above string course at road level, against which the render stops. A further string course at window sill level: three two-light windows, lights separated by column with central stone ring, capital, each light has a semi-circular head: circular light with glazed spandrels above, all within emi-circular main arch, springing from plain ashlar string course running the length of the facade. Projecting eaves course with small arches on corbels, carrying decorative cast-iron gutter: two chimneys, blue brick bases, yellow brick stalks with oversailing courses to head. At ends plain copings with cross-gablet feet, gable on right with steep cross-gablet apex, as on the road end, but without cross.
Slates are in six bands, alternating green and blue, with crested clay ridge, largely broken. Left return, tower base plain, above double plinth; second stage and upwards is as the front. Beyond the tower is as the right return, except the chimney bases are stone, and the heads of the chimneys are heavier.
Interior not inspected.
Occupies prominent position on outside of slow bend in Wells Road, and focal point, of Wyche Road which joins Wells Road a little distance to the south on the opposite side to the church. The gable is also prominent from Abbey Road below, which shows that the large arched east window is presently blocked.
Present building on the site of 1827 Countess of Huntingdon Chapel; windows below road level may be from this building. It was described as 'reformed episcopalian church of Emmanuel' when built in 1874.
Listing NGR: SO7752945345
