Congleton United Reformed Church

Congleton United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church, Antrobus Street, Congleton
Congleton United Reformed Church is located in Cheshire
Congleton United Reformed Church
Congleton United Reformed Church
Location in Cheshire
53°09′52″N 2°13′02″W / 53.1645°N 2.2171°W / 53.1645; -2.2171
OS grid referenceSJ 856 631
LocationAntrobus Street, Congleton, Cheshire
CountryEngland
DenominationUnited Reformed Church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II
Designated4 April 1975
Architect(s)William Sugden
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1876
Completed1877
Specifications
MaterialsStone, slate roof

Congleton United Reformed Church is in Antrobus Street, Congleton, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The building originated as a Congregational church. It was designed by William Sugden, an architect from Leek, and built in 1876–77.[2]

Architecture

Constructed in stone, the church has a slate roof. Its architectural style is Gothic Revival. The entrance front has a double portal, each doorway having a pointed arch. At the northeast is a squat octagonal turret.[1] There is a large west window. On the gable above it is a large tabernacle surmounted by a ball finial with a long stalk. The authors of the Buildings of England series state that the church exhibits "astonishingly free handling of the Gothic precedents", and that "everything is richly and individually treated".[2] Inside the church is a gallery at the east end.[1] The three-manual organ was made by J. J. Binns for Claremont Baptist Church, Bolton. It was moved here and rebuilt in 1984 by Leonard Reeves.[3]

Closure

It was announced in April 2025 that the church would close, being too large for the congregation to maintain. The Rev. Murray George said that the decision had been made very reluctantly at the end of March, following a long period of deliberation.[4]

In July 2025 it was announced that the church would close in September 2025, and that the building was planned to go for auction on 27 August 2025.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Historic England, "Congregational Church, Congleton (1130487)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 26 February 2012
  2. ^ a b Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 299, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  3. ^ Cheshire, Congleton, United Reformed Church (D07552), British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 26 February 2012
  4. ^ "Congleton church to be sold after almost 150 years of worship". BBC News. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  5. ^ "United Reformed Church is being sold at auction". Congleton Chronicle. 31 July 2025. p. Front Page.
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