Worsley Methodist Chapel and School

An historic assessment was required to inform a planning application for the conversion of a Methodist church at Barton Road, Worsley, Manchester, to a residential dwelling. The church is on a Local List of Heritage Assets for Salford, and lies within the Worsley Village conservation area, but is not a designated heritage asset of national significance in its own right according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS 2010). The Historic Assessment has been undertaken by Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) at the request of RA Fisk and Associates.
In 1801 John Burgess leased a small plot of land (44 x 35 feet and 39 x 39 feet, totalling 171 sq yds) which was large enough for a chapel and for some additional cottages to accommodate preachers. The original chapel of 1801 was provided with a Sunday school to the east in 1814 and then a long school room to the south before 1876 (perhaps 1855). The school room did not last for long, however, being removed in 1878 to make space for the extension of the chapel and the erection of a new large school building. The chapel may have been given a new façade in 1865, but it was certainly in place by 1889. The roof of the Sunday school, which originally had been gabled at the northern end, was modified at some point between 1889 and 1961 and converted to a mansard roof with a central dormer window.
From both documentary and archaeological evidence it is evident that a substantial portion of the pre-1878 chapel survives to the present day. In addition, parts of the 1855 school building may also survive, although it has been substantially altered. The chapel’s extension and the new school room of 1878 are also clearly evident in the surviving structure, with the interior of the chapel probably being attributable to this date. Of note is the survival of the pipe organ at the southern end of the chapel, parts of which may date to as early as 1830. Worsley Methodist Chapel lies within the Worsley Village Conservation Area, an area formally protected through the planning system for its special architectural and historic interest. Its immediate surroundings include a number of late eighteenth and nineteenth century houses, which line the south-western side of Barton Road. The wider industrial context of the village is revealed by the remains of an eighteenth century lime kiln that is located opposite the church, on the northern side of the Worsley Brook, and the Bridgewater Canal beyond. Generally, the building is in reasonable condition and exhibits no signs of water damage or ingress associated with poor maintenance, however, the flooring in the school room has buckled and is in need of attention.
The church has been assessed for its importance as a heritage asset. It has been locally listed for its social and communal value, along side its Aesthetic and Group values. Although the church itself may be assessed to be of Local/Borough significance, its inclusion within the Worsley Village Conservation Area means that it must be attributed a Regional/County significance for its contribution to the areas distinctive character.