Zion Chapel

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

HARBERTON SX75NE ZION HILL 5/446 HARBERTONFORD Zion Chapel

II

Nonconformist chapel. Circa 1799. Slate rubble and local metamorphic stone rubble. Slate hung from just above window cill level on south and west sides only. Hipped roof with cement slurried scantle slates.

Plan: Rectangular plan on a north-south axis with entrance at the south end below the gallery which is entered by external stairs on west side.

Built high above lane which is in deep cutting on east side. The rostrum is at the north end. Situated in a small burial ground.

Exterior: Two pointed arch windows on east and west sides of two lights with Y-tracery bars. The windows on east side have red brick arches.

External stone rubble steps with slate treads to gallery doorway to right of west side, with pointed arch and plank door with Y-tracery cover moulds.

Doorway at south end with straight head double flush panel doors and slated wooden canopy on shaped brackets. Small oculus above with radiating spider-web tracery. Similar oculus on north end.

Interior: (28 feet by 17.5 feet) is simply plastered with flat ceiling and matchboarded dado. Gallery at the south end on pair of thin columns; gallery front panelled and with moulded architrave and cornice. The back of the gallery is partitioned off to form vestry, with doorway at centre with cornice on console brackets set on this shafts supported on a second pair of consoles. Fragments of original seating in the gallery. The simple rostrum at the north end appears to be later C19 but the front has a small board inscribed 'Zion Chapel 1799' and the dado panelling behind the rostrum might be original. The C19 portable benches are of pleasingly simple design.

The earliest monument in the burial ground appears to be a tomb chest to Thomas Goodman 1833, the pastor.

The chapel was built in 1799 for a Baptist Congregation but now serves a Brethren assembly.

It is a good and largely complete example of a small Georgian nonconformist chapel with an unusual external gallery stairs.

Source: C Stell, draft for RCHM inventory of non-conformist chapels.

Listing NGR: SX7844855915

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/1156 IOE Records taken by Robert W Keniston; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr Robert W Keniston. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project