Swaffham Methodist Church

Summary

Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1813 by Robert Goodrick, adapted as a Methodist church in 1936.

Reasons for Designation

Swaffham Methodist Church is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a historic religious building, which contributes strongly to the architectural character and diversity of Swaffham’s historic London Road;
* for the architectural quality of its symmetrical façade, which is enlivened by a classically inspired pediment, giant pilasters, recessed porch with Doric columns, doorcases and margined windows.

Historic interest:

* for the contribution it makes to the evolution of the historic London Road and the development of the town.

Group value:

* for its historic and functional group value with other listed buildings on London Road.

History

Swaffham’s significance in the medieval period stemmed from its position on the crossroads of the main routes from London, Norwich and King’s Lynn. The first written record of a market in the town, which was established on a triangular-shaped area formed by the convergence of the aforementioned roads, was in 1215 when King John issued a royal writ to the Sherriff of Norfolk to abolish it should it ‘damage the market in Dunham’. It was never abolished and expanded rapidly. The Market Place was probably open to the church on its east side, but later C17 development closed this off, while the development of The Shambles in the middle in the late C18/early C19, further reduced the size of the open space. From the mid-C18, for a period of just over a hundred years, Swaffham became one of the most populous parishes in Norfolk and one of the most fashionable centres in the county, attracting many leading West Norfolk Families. A racecourse had been established by 1628, the Assembly Rooms were constructed in 1776-1778, subsequently extended and modernised in 1817, and George Walpole, the Third Earl of Orford (1730-1791), founded a coursing club in 1786. During this period of prosperity, much rebuilding took place around the Market Place and the overall character of the town is primarily of mid- to late Georgian in date, although there is evidence for C16-C17 work behind many façades. Further rebuilding also took place after ‘The Great Fire of Swaffham’, which probably started in the vicinity of the Blue Boar Inn (now the White Hart) on the afternoon of 14 November 1775, when it was set ablaze by a spark from a nearby blacksmith’s workshop. Fire soon engulfed the densely packed houses and workshops behind the inn and along London Road, with 22 buildings being completely destroyed and a further two badly damaged. The town continued to expand in the C19 when its population increased from 2,200 in 1800 to 3,350 in 1845. It also became an important local administrative centre during this period and acquired several notable buildings, including a National School (1838), Shire Hall (1839) and Corn Hall (1858).

A Wesleyan Chapel was constructed by Robert Goodrick in 1813, originally square on plan. It was later altered in 1845 and extended with the addition of a vestry in 1846; the building was further extended to the east, and with a school room to the rear in 1876. In 1928 the side galleries were removed and the rear gallery was remodelled. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist strands of Methodism were united in 1936 at the London Street Chapel, and the building was listed at Grade II in 1973.

Details

Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1813 by Robert Goodrick, adapted as a Methodist church in 1936.

MATERIALS: The building has a slate roof covering, and gault-brick facade with rendered returns.

PLAN: It is roughly rectangular on plan.

EXTERIOR: The chapel has a two-storey elevation in three bays and faces west to London Street. It has a hipped roof with a slate covering. There is a pediment over the centre bay, and each bay is separated by panelled giant pilasters with pyramidal stone finials. The walls are constructed of gault brick with a red brick eaves cornice to a parapet. The window bays have gauged arched and contain C20 fixed windows with margin glazing and coloured glass; those to the upper floor are round-arched and set within arched recesses. The centre bay at ground-floor level has four slender Roman Doric columns rising to a plain cornice and forming a recessed porch. There are six-panelled doors in the north and south inner walls of the porch, having doorcases with paterae.

INTERIOR: The chapel has a panelled west gallery on three cast-iron columns reached by two stick-baluster staircases, and a suspended C20 timber ceiling.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

460584

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Wilson, B, The Buildings of England: Norfolk 2: North-West and South, (2002), 684
Swaffham History Group, , The Book of Swaffham: The Story of a Norfolk Market Town, (2021)

Websites
Norfolk Heritage Explorer, ‘Methodist Church, London Street, NHER 34728’, accessed 20 February 2024 from https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF38798
A Dictionary of Methodism, ‘Swaffham’, accessed 20 February 2024 from https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=3719

Other
Unpublished research – Swaffham Cultural Consortium and Swaffham History Group

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