Building record 0981400000 - General Baptist Chapel, South Street

The first chapel on the present site appears to have been a 'new erected building' registered as a meeting-house for Baptists in October 1735. Although this is said to have been enlarged 'before 1773' it seems more likely to have been rebuilt c.1770 and that work of this period forms the nucleus of the present building. This is of dark brick, heightened in the early 19th century and given a tiled roof gabled to E and W, but probably hipped originally. The N front is of three bays with central door-way and window above, now blocked, and two segmental-arched windows; two similar windows in the S wall set more closely together mark the former site of the pulpit. In 1833 the chapel was greatly enlarged to the W in yellow brick and slate and in 1883 the W front was rebuilt in white brick with red brick dressings and the gallery staircase rebuilt in a projection to the south. A Sunday-school at the E end built in 1894 stands on the site of a vestry of 1822 (B1).