The church was built in 1817 as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel.[5] It cost £6,000, and was one of the first public buildings in the country to be lit by gas.[6] It was remodelled in 1862–63 by Poulton and Woodman.[7] In the 1990s a hall in the church was converted into sleeping accommodation for the poor and homeless, and the entrance area was enlarged, allowing for the creation of a coffee shop, kitchen, crèche, and toilets. Improvements were made in the access to the front of the church in 2006.[6]
Architecture
Exterior
The church is built in brick, with a front of sandstoneashlar and a slate roof. It has a rectangular plan, is in two storeys, and is sited at right angles to the street. The symmetrical entrance front faces east and contains a giant round-headed arch carried on two pairs of Corinthian columns. The surround of the arch is moulded, and above it is a moulded dentilledgable. At the top of the columns are moulded cornices, which are carried out over the lateral bays. These bays contain two round-headed windows with imposts and keystones, one in each storey. The lower windows are partly blocked with notice boards, and the upper windows contain circular geometric glazing.[5] Under the arch, steps lead up to a recessed porch with doorways and a Venetian window.[7] Along the sides of the church are two tiers of round-headed windows. At the rear of the church is a two-storey extension with gabled porches and round-headed doorways with fanlights.[5]
Interior
Inside the church is a horseshoe-shaped gallery carried on thin cast iron columns with Ionic caps,[7] and with a foliated balustrade.[5] The ceiling is coffered with glazed panels in the centre.[7] The original pipe organ was built by Gray and Davison and had two manuals.[8] This was replaced in 1881 by a three-manual organ built by W. E. Richardson.[9]
