Former Union Chapel and Congregational Chapel
281A, Chapeltown Road, Newton Park, Leeds
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1255644
- Date first listed:
- 11-Sept-1996
- List Entry Name:
- Former Union Chapel and Congregational Chapel
- Statutory Address:
- 281A, Chapeltown Road, Newton Park, Leeds
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-02-27
- Reference:
- IOE01/08893/30
- Rights:
- © Mr Geoffrey R. Handford. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1255644
- Date first listed:
- 11-Sept-1996
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 25-Oct-2011
- List Entry Name:
- Former Union Chapel and Congregational Chapel
- Statutory Address 1:
- 281A, Chapeltown Road, Newton Park, Leeds
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- 281A, Chapeltown Road, Newton Park, Leeds
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Leeds (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SE3090036050
Summary
Former Union (joint Baptist and Congregational) chapel, built in 1887 by Archibald Nevill, later used as a Sikh Temple (Gurdwara).
Reasons for Designation
* Architecture: the exterior is a striking and individual design carried out with confidence and incorporating a number of well-executed decorative details
* Interior: the interior retains a number of original features despite its conversion to a different religious use
* Historic interest: the changing uses of this building reflect the changing social, religious and ethnic composition of the area
History
The first building on the site was a Congregational Chapel built in 1870-71 by W. H. Harris, it was known as the Newton Park Congregational Church. This was extensively damaged by fire in 2005. In 1887 the Newton Park Union Chapel, serving both Baptist and Congregational denominations was constructed on the eastern side of the chapel, designed by Archibald Nevill, a Leeds architect. After a period as a RAFA Club by c.1963 the Union Chapel had became a Sikh Temple (Gurdwara). It is currently unused.
Details
Materials: constructed of rock-faced coursed gritstone with ashlar dressings to the Union Chapel, and slate roofs.
Plan: an almost square plan with an entrance porch projecting from a hexagonal clerestoried lantern. It has a two-stage tower, gabled transepts and a short nave. To the south side is a two storey extension with a lower wing to the rear.
Exterior: the main elevation, facing east, has a projecting porch which takes up the majority of the frontage. At the centre is a large double pointed-arch window in a gabled front flanked by angled buttresses with crocketed spires. The walls angled back on each side have smaller four-centred arch windows and a decorative frieze above: flying buttresses rise to the lantern behind. The lantern has three gabled faces each with a large traceried pointed arch window. The square tower stands behind the lantern, with the short gabled transepts extending from the sides of the tower. The tower has four clock faces and crocketed pinnacles at each corner. To the right (north) a single storey extension has three square windows and to the left (south) is a two storey extension with a ground floor entrance and three groups of two first floor windows. This extension extends towards the rear (west) as a single storey for the full length of the nave.
Interior: the building has later partitioning but original features include: two entrances to anteroom, inserted screen with double doors to main hall with stone columns, round arches, attached columns, ribbed vault, traceried wall panels; first-floor galleries partitioned off, red and yellow patterned glass in lantern windows (now school room); tower has clock mechanism.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 465819
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Kellys Directory in Leeds, (1881)
Kellys Directory in Leeds, (1886)
Kellys Directory in Leeds, (1888)
Kellys Directory in Leeds, (1893)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 13-Jun-2026 at 08:19:04.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.