Congregational Chapel, 1840 (according to date plaque), architect unknown, grey brick front facing wall with lower courses in header bond, and upper courses in English bond, with red brick corner pillars to the front wall, and red brick pillars to the porch and a red brick upper window surround, all in English bond. Above the porch and above the front wall window are gable ended roofs with decorative red brick stepping supporting a roof made of slate tiles. The original building is rectangular in plan form (later additions at the rear are not included), with the entrance at the narrow end, fronting the road. The building has a single rectangular window set high above the porch, and two square sash windows toeither side wall. The interior still contains its original pulpit, and pews, all of wood.
The Chapel was consecrated for use by the Congregational Church in the 1840’s and used by the local minister, Rev John Morton. The small garden at the front reputedly contains the graves of him and his wife – this is supported by a report in the NWN of 16th November 1871, stating he was buried in the chapel graveyard. There is a plaque to John Morton within the chapel.
The chapel holds an important place in the history of the parish, both by being a small local non-conformist chapel for the area, and by its association with the notable local figure of John Morton, who lived in the village from at least 1821. Far-flung family descendants still visit the chapel on occasion because of this connection. The building’s frontage presents an attractive face to the road, with a harmonious use of vitrified grey brick and red brick, all probably local bricks – architecturally, it is primarily the contribution the chapel makes to the street scene, not the building as a whole, which was put forward for local listing. The Listing encompasses the frontage and its contribution to the setting of the village, the religious aspect of the building as a local non-conformist chapel for close to 200 years, and the important link with the Rev John Morton, whose support of the local people during the struggle to retain Bucklebury Common as public open space is still remembered and celebrated today.
HER Ref: MWB19568
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