Wood Street Congregational Church

Last updated

Wood Street Congregational Church
Wood Street Congregational Church blue plaque.jpg
Blue plaque at the location of the church
Wood Street Congregational Church
51°28′40″N3°10′44″W / 51.4778°N 3.1790°W / 51.4778; -3.1790
Denomination Congregational
History
StatusDemolished
Founded1868
Founder(s)William Watkiss
Architecture
Closed1971
Demolished1973
Specifications
Capacity3000

Wood Street Congregational Church was a congregational chapel which formerly stood on Wood Street, Cardiff. It was once the largest congregational chapel in South Wales. It was demolished in the 1970s.

Contents

Early history

The building which became the church was built in 1858, initially as a temperance hall. It was built as part of Temperance Town, a grid of small streets which formerly occupied much of the area to the north of Cardiff Central railway station. Within a year of opening, the building became a music hall and a circus. The acrobat Charles Blondin performed there in the early 1860s. In the later years of the decade, the building came to the attention of minister William Watkiss (1827-1892), who believed that it would be an ideal venue to fill with crowds of unchurched working people. [1]

Purchase and scandal

Watkiss was assisted in his endeavours by a Mr Ashton, a prominent member of his existing congregation. Under Ashton's expectations, the building was purchased, the local businesses lent generously to the cause, and many residents lent their savings. When the repayment was due, Ashton simply disappeared, never to be seen again. He reportedly left behind £3, a carpet bag and an old coat, and had absconded with £600 in cash (equivalent to £60,000in 2021 [2] ) and about the same amount in goods, all on credit. A play called Ashton's Little Game based on the events was written, and was staged at the Theatre Royal to packed audiences. [3] Fortunately, the Hannah Street Congregational Church (which closed in 2002), together with emergency donations from generous individuals, saved the new church and Watkiss went on to have a successful career as minister. The first service was held on 28 September 1868.

Subsequent history

After renovations and extensions in 1896, Wood Street was the largest Congregational church in South Wales, with 2000 people regularly attending its services. Although the scandal had not been fatal, the church's finances remained delicate until the late 1910s. In c.1917, an adjoining building, the Rapers Hotel, was purchased by the Cardiff & District Congregational Board, and was used by Wood Street as a Sunday School. [4] Lionel B. Fletcher, a well-known Australian evangelist, was minister from 1916 to 1922. The Big Tent Mission, one of the earliest Evangelist movements, pitched its camp behind the church in 1923. [5] The two World Wars, combined with the Great Depression, caused the church to fall on leaner times. Temperance Town was demolished in the late 1930s, depriving the church of many of its attendees. The building subsequently fell into a poor condition. In 1964, three young architectural students inspected the run-down building, and discovered that it had several unusual construction quirks: doors that led nowhere, windows which were actually false, and five doors facing onto Havelock Street which had brick walls behind them. [6]

Demolition

After a final service in November 1971, the church closed after 103 years of worship. In 1973, it was demolished and replaced with an office building. It is commemorated with a blue plaque at the location. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taff's Well</span> Human settlement in Wales

Taff's Well is a semi-rural village, community and electoral ward located at the south easterly tip of Rhondda Cynon Taf, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Known locally as the 'Gates to the Valleys', it is separated from Gwaelod-y-Garth by the River Taff. Taff's Well is distinguished because it contains the only thermal spring in Wales. The tepid water is thought to rise along a fault-line from the Carboniferous Limestone, in somewhat similar manner to the warm springs at Bristol and Bath. Various religious groups regard it as a spiritual site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howells (department store)</span> Former department store in Cardiff

Howells was a large department store located on St Mary Street in Cardiff, Wales, established by James Howell in 1865. It was acquired by the House of Fraser group in 1972 and re-branded as House of Fraser in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churches in Colchester</span>

Colchester in Essex, England, has a number of notable churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Central bus station</span> Former bus terminal in Wales

Cardiff Central bus station was the main bus transport interchange in the Cardiff city centre until it closed on 1 August 2015. With 34 stands, it was the largest bus station in Wales. It was located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major interchange. Construction of a new bus and transport interchange on the site of the former NCP multi-storey car park in Wood Street, adjacent to the old bus station, is underway with an expected date of completion sometime in spring 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey Chapel, Southwark</span> Church in London, England

The Surrey Chapel (1783–1881) was an independent Methodist and Congregational church established in Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London on 8 June 1783 by the Rev. Rowland Hill. His work was continued in 1833 by the Congregational pastor Rev. James Sherman, and in 1854 by Rev. Newman Hall. The chapel's design attracted great interest, being circular in plan with a domed roof. When built it was set in open fields, but within a few years it became a new industrial area with a vast population characterised by great poverty amidst pockets of wealth. Recently the site itself has been redeveloped as an office block, and Southwark Underground Station has been built opposite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Cardiff</span> Overview of the architecture in the capital city of Wales

Architecture in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, dates from Norman times to the present day. Its urban fabric is largely Victorian and later, reflecting Cardiff's rise to prosperity as a major coal port in the 19th century. No single building style is associated with Cardiff, but the city centre retains several 19th and early 20th century shopping arcades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temperance Town, Cardiff</span> Place in Cardiff, Wales

Temperance Town, Cardiff, was the unofficial name for a working-class inner-city suburb established in the late 1850s and demolished in the 1930s to make way for Cardiff Bus Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregational Chapel, Nantwich</span>

The Congregational Chapel, also known as the Independent Chapel, is a former Congregational or Independent church in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. It is located on Monks Lane, now a pedestrian walkway, opposite the Dysart Buildings and immediately north east of St Mary's Church. Built in 1841–42, it is listed at grade II. The chapel closed in the late 20th century, and the building has been converted to residential use.

Central Square is a large public space in Cardiff, Wales, adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station and included Cardiff Central bus station between 1954 and 2015. It was redeveloped and extended in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underbank Chapel</span>

Underbank Chapel is a Unitarian place of worship in Stannington, a suburb of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Park United Reformed Church, Harrogate</span> United Reformed Church in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England

West Park United Reformed Church is located in the West Park area of Harrogate, England, and is a Grade II listed building. It was designed in Nonconformist Gothic style as West Park Congregational Church by Lockwood & Mawson and completed in 1862 for around £5,000. Along with Belvedere Mansion across the road, it was intended as part of the prestigious entrance to the Victoria Park development. For the Congregationalists it was meant to house an increasing congregation of visitors brought to the spa town by the recently-built railways. It became a United Reformed church in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godalming Congregational Church</span> Church in Surrey , United Kingdom

The building formerly known as Godalming Congregational Church was the Congregational chapel serving the ancient town of Godalming, in the English county of Surrey, between 1868 and 1977. It superseded an earlier chapel, which became Godalming's Salvation Army hall, and served a congregation which could trace its origins to the early 18th century. The "imposing suite of buildings", on a major corner site next to the Town Bridge over the River Wey, included a schoolroom and a manse, and the chapel had a landmark spire until just before its closure in 1977. At that time the congregation transferred to the nearby Methodist chapel, which became a joint Methodist and United Reformed church with the name Godalming United Church. The former chapel then became an auction gallery before being converted into a restaurant; then in 2018 the premises were let to the Cotswold Company to be converted into a furniture and home accessories showroom. In 1991 the former chapel was listed at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilgrim Uniting Church</span> Church in South Australia, Australia

Pilgrim Uniting Church is a Uniting church located on Flinders Street, Adelaide in South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Hall, Cardiff</span> Sports club in Cardiff

Jackson Hall is a Grade II listed building on Westgate Street, in central Cardiff. It was designed by John Prichard and George Robinson and built in 1878. It stands adjacent to the Cardiff and Country Club. Behind Jackson Hall is the Millennium Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allin Congregational Church</span> Church in Massachusetts, United States

Allin Congregational Church is an historic United Church of Christ church in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was built in 1818 by conservative breakaway members of Dedham's First Church and Parish in the Greek Revival style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton Wesley Uniting Church</span> Church in Australia

Clayton Wesley Uniting Church, formerly Clayton Congregational Church, is a Uniting church, located at 280 Portrush Road, Beulah Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The current building with its tall spire was built was built in 1883, although an earlier building, behind the present church and now known as the Lecture Hall, was built in 1856. The church is located in a commanding position at the eastern end of The Parade, Norwood.

Brisbane Street is a street in Hobart, Tasmania. The street was named for Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, the sixth Governor of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weybridge United Reformed Church</span> Church in Surrey , United Kingdom

The Weybridge United Reformed Church situate at Queen's Road, Weybridge, near to its junction with York Road, is a Victorian Grade II Listed church building that is now no longer used as a place of worship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester Street Congregational Church</span> Demolished church in Dorset, England

Gloucester Street Congregational Church was a Congregational church in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built between 1862 and 1864 to replace a chapel of 1804 at St. Nicholas Street. It closed as a place of worship in 1971 and was demolished in 1980. The site is now occupied by the retirement housing complex, George Thorne House.

References

  1. Rose, J. Cardiff Churches Through Time. Amberley. 2013. p.48
  2. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  3. "Editorial" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  4. Archives Wales. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  5. The Victorian and Edwardian Churches, Cardiffmuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  6. Hall, M. The Cardiff Book of Days. History Press. 2011.
  7. Blue Plaque. Retrieved 2017-03-31.