Listed Building record MDR12676 - Wycliffe United Reformed Church, Church Street, Alfreton

Wycliffe United Reformed Church, Church Street, Alfreton, built c1860. 'The Independents have a handsome chapel in Church Street, which was erected in 1850, at a cost of £1000. It will seat about 300 persons.' (1) Dissent has found a home in Alfreton since the middle of the 17th century. The Rev. John Oldfield, who was ejected from the living of Carsington in 1662, for his non-conformity, spent the latter part of his life at Alfreton. The Old Meeting House stood on the Alfreton Hall estate. This was superseded in 1854 by the present handsome Congregational Chapel, built at a cost of £1,024. The style is Norman, and the details have been well carried out. The edifice consists of nave, with side aisles, and a tower flanking the front, in which is the principal entrance. On the walls are mural tablets to Mrs Mary Roberts, who died in 1888; and to the Rev. T Gallsworthy and his wife, who died in 1888 and 1884 respectively. (2) 'The Congregational chapel, founded in 1708, has 400 sittings. In 1906 the chapel was enlarged, Sunday schools added, and an Assembly Hall erected, at a total cost of £1,700.' (3) 'The Congregational Chapel on Church Street is built of brick and slate, with a gabled stone front. It is in a Romanesque style by G C Gilbert of Nottingham. It was built in 1850 on a new site for a church that originated in the late 17th century. The north front has two tiers of windows, and a northwest tower that was formerly surmounted by a spire, with an entrance in the lower stage. There is also a second entrance at the northeast corner. The interior is divided by east and west arcades, with clerestory lighting, and has a small wheel window above the northeast entrance, of nine lights filled with coloured glass. (4) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 40 55 NE ALFRETON CHURCH STREET (south side) 8/16 Wycliffe Reform Church GV II Church. c1860. Free Norman style. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressing and banded blue and green slate roof with crested ridge tiles and stone coped gables enriched with dogtooth ornament. Five bay nave and single bay chancel both with east and west aisles, western aisle with tower to north end. Plinth. North, street elevation has gabled nave to centre with three semicircular headed windows, each with roll moulded arch on scalloped capitals, (nookshafts now missing) and with hoodmoulds and continuous raised impost band. Above two semicircular headed roll moulded lights with central column, set in large semi- circular headed opening similar to window below. Pilaster buttress to east corner surmounted by square stone cupola with arcaded sides, corner shafts and pyramidal roof. Beyond to east, the aisle has a semicircular headed doorcase of three orders, trefoil inner arch and two roll moulded arches on volute capitals and nookshafts. Pilaster buttress to east with pinnacle top. To west of nave the four stage tower, also with semicircular headed doorcase of three orders on nookshafts with volute capitals. Doorcase and flanking stonework, slightly advanced; stonework over the doorcase is corbelled in but sides carried up to form short pilaster buttresses. Second stage has a recessed central panel with carved frieze to top and central circular window. Third stage has paired semicircular headed windows below roll moulded arches on carved consoles. Fourth stage is similar to all sides with continuous arcades of semicircular headed dogtooth arches on nookshafts with volute capitals except for square piers to the corners. All openings below rubble relieving arches. Above a corbel table supporting moulded cornice. Other sides of building mostly enclosed by other structures except eastern clerestory with rose window to north and four triple semicircular headed windows to south divided by pilaster buttresses. Interior has 5 bay arcade to east and four bay arcade to west, each with moulded semicircular arches on quatrefoil piers with waterleaf or foliage capitals. Clerestory windows in chamfered arched surrounds with carved capitals to nookshafts, and moulded sill band. Similar surrounds to north gable windows. Corbelled arched braced roof. Plain late C19 fittings. Listing NGR: SK4086755771.' (5)