How the Meeting House Grew

 

 

1784. The Meeting House was built with a brick base and a timber frame. The bricklayer was Thomas Boxall and the carpenter was George Whyles. The outside was covered with red tiles which looked like brick, but which were much cheaper, and the porch, much smaller than the present one, was made of timber. The building cost £229/7/6d.

 

1801. The end wall was removed and rebuilt several feet further to the southwest. The gallery inside was moved back, making the Meeting Room larger. When it was first built the stairs were at the back, leaving room for seats right across the front. Now the stairs are at the front of the gallery, and half of the front row can't be used. The end rooms were for the caretaker to live in. These alterations cost £69/11/4d.

 

 

1802. The old wooden porch was removed and replaced with the present one which is much larger and built with brick. You can see that there wasn't quite enough room for it, and it is squashed up against the window to the right. This cost £44/8/2d.

 1860-70? A cottage was built for the warden. We don't know exactly when this was done,nor how much it cost. The door at the left was replaced by a window, so the way into the rooms which the caretaker had occupied previously was then through the porch.

 

1978. The children's room was built at the end, and the warden was given the new room above it, instead of having the kitchen downstairs. Great care was taken to make the new building match the old part. There were several problems that had not been expected, as for example, when an old well was discovered and it had to be cemented over. This work cost about £26,000.

Drawings courtesy of Maurice Burge

Back