Listed Building record MDR13024 - United Reform Church, High Street, Melbourne

United Reform Church, High Street, Melbourne, built in 1871. 'The Independent Chapel at Melbourne was built in 1779 and enlarged in 1841. It is a stone building with a brick front and stone dressings. It will seat 280.' (1) There is a Congregational Chapel situated here on the 1st edition 25" OS map of c1880. (2) 'The Congregationalists, originally Independents, have a handsome chapel in High Street.' (3) The Congregational Chapel in High Street was first founded in 1769. The present edifice is a building of stone that was erected in 1871. It seats 300 persons. (4) It is still in use as a place of worship [2011]. (5) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 38/3925 PARISH OF MELBOURNE HIGH STREET 6/112 (South Side) United Reform Church GV II Church. 1871. Rock faced stone with stone dressings, flush hands at impost level to east and west elevations, ceramic tile band at similar level to north elevation and stone plinth. Slate roof with crested ridge tiles, bands of hexagonal slates and small gabled vents with trefoil headed openings, plus stone coped gables on moulded kneelers and coved eaves bands. Nave, with transept and chancel bays and small tower to north-east corner. Northern street elevation has an eared gable, clasping buttresses to either side and rock faced relieving Birches over all the windows. Central triple lancet with plate tracery to head of central lancet is flanked by single chamfered lancets. Below there is a central stone inscribed 'Memorial Stone Laid April 1871', and above there is a central plate tracery rose window set in a rock faced circle with four ashlar keyblocks. Above again there is a small blind lozenge shaped niche. Attached to east side, slightly recessed, is the two stage tower which has a single chamfered lancet to north side and a similar pointed doorcase to east, plus angle buttresses. Above each side has a central blind quatrefoil in circular surround with continuous hoodmould over. Above again the corners cut in, to form an octagonal base for the spire above, with gableted blind trefoil headed niches on four sides. East elevation has three chamfered lancets, each with plate tracery to head, with buttresses between and a transept bay to south with clasping corner buttresses, 2-light plate tracery window facing east and quatrefoil window above. West elevation similar but with one more lancet. South elevation has lower canted chancel bay with hipped roof and quatrefoil windows to angled sides. Interior has original arched braced roof on carved corbels with pierced ironwork spandrels, a continuous band of ceramic tiles at impost level and a double chamfered pointed arch into the chancel bay supported by column corbels with carved capitals and bases. Chancel has a large painted contemporary organ to the back and benches to either side with pierced arcading to front and bench ends with foliage poppy heads, also metal railings to front with carved stops to the ends of the wooden rail. Timber pulpit to west has pierced trefoils to the front panel and stone font to east also with carved trefoils. To west side of the pulpit is a cinquefoil shaped alabaster wall plaque to Rev Henry Bannister who built the church. Listing NGR: SK3856525149.' (6