| Catalogue Finding Number | WYHER/13039 |
| Office record is held at | Historical Environment Record, West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service |
| Held Outside WYAS | THE RECORD DESCRIBED IS HELD AND ADMINISTERED BY THE WEST YORKSHIRE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD PLEASE CONTACT THEM ON 0113 535 0157 IF YOU WISH TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW THIS RECORD |
| Title | Westgate Unitarian Chapel, Wakefield |
| Description | Westgate Unitarian Chapel, Wakefield. Neo Classical chapel built in 1752.
'1752. Main front faces south. Classical building of ample proportions. 2 storeys, 3 wide bays. Red brick with stone cornice and full width pediment. Segment headed 1st floor windows with rusticated stone architraves and bracketed cills. Ground floor centre Venetian window with Doric order at sides and rusticated central architrave. Flanking 6 panel double doors with oblong fanlights, pedimented Doric entablatures. Bell cupola has dome on drum with columns and arched openings. 5 bay returns have Venetian window with blank side panels in round arched recesses, all arches of gauged bricks. 3 bay west end has round arched windows and a lunette in pediment. Ground floor obscured by later addition.
Plain interior with west gallery and raised central pulpit under sounding board. Woodwork mostly late C19'.
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 30/03/1971. Date amended 01/02/1979. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1260218. Web site accessed10/13/2013).
The chapel was the subject of an archaeological assessment by Peter Thornborrow c.1991. The photographic images produced by the assessment are held by WYAAS (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAAS). c.1991).
WYAAS archives holds a copy of a 1978 report on the structural and architectural condition of Westgate Chapel and ancillary buildings which includes the near by 1780s Orangery (see PRN 12958). The report provides a brief history of the chapel and a comprehensive list of the condition of the building with fittings (Weightman and Bullen Architect's. 1978).
WYAAS holds a copy of a local history article which describes the historic foundation of this chapel (Author and date unknown. 'Chapels play part in city's history'. Page 96 97). The article describes the chapel as built by subscription between 1751 52 on land bought from Sir George Saville. The previous chapel was in a ruinous state. The cost of building was also raised by the sale of burial rights in the catacombs under the chapel. The first sermon was preached in November 1752. The pulpit is 17th century and was brought from the earlier chapel [location not provided]. |
| Date | 21st century |
| Extent | contact the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service for information on what is available |
| Level | Item |