Northampton Towcester Road Primitive Methodist Chapel

01 Southampton Road, general view of chapel

Geoffrey Oxley, 12.11.2022

02 Southampton Road, façade of the chapel, 12.11.2022

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03 Southampton Road, link building and entrance, 12.11.2022

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04 Southampton Road, north side of the building behind the chapel, 12.11.2022

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05 Southampton Road, east and south sides of the 1993 building, 12.11.2022

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06 Southampton Road, west side of the 1993 building, 12.11.2022

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07 Southampton Road, notice board, 12.11.2022

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Towcester Road Primitive Methodist Chapel is situated on the north side of Southampton Road at its junction with Towcester Road. The land was purchased in 1921 for £800 and the new chapel opened in February1924, probably as a replacement for Northampton Far Cotton Primitive Methodist Chapel, qv (images 1-2). The buildings had cost £51,861.7d and the combined chapel and school seated 350. In 1940 the chapel seated 250 on chairs. There was a schoolroom and two other rooms.  The school room was probably the building behind the chapel which can be seen at the back of the adjacent filling station (image 4).

A later extension was built to the west of the original chapel (images 5-6) Another building links the two structures. The change in roof colour shows the position of the join (image 3). Several foundation stones were laid in connection with these developments. Their dates indicate that the work was carried out in stages. The names appearing there are:

Chapel:-  7 July 1923: Mr H T Maycock in memory of Arthur Maycock, Mr J W Arnold, Rt Hon C A M Curdy, Mr G R Baxter in memory of Sidney Baxter,

Extensions:- May 1999: Ulric Gravesande, JP

30 June 1956: Rev Henry T Wright, BA, BD for Park Avenue Methodist Church

ND: Charles A Pearce for Kettering Road Methodist Church. The directors of Airflow      Streamlines Ltd

The building continues to be used as a Methodist place of worship (image 7)

Further research: It would be good to know who designed the original chapel and the modern extension facing Towcester Road

Sources

Northamptonshire Record Office, NMC190193, Second, later Kettering Road, trust schedules, 1921/2 -1931/2

Northampton Methodist Church website: methodist-churches-northampton.org.uk

Methodist Church Buildings: Statistical returns including seating accommodation as at July 1^st 1940, No 681

www.methodist-churches-northampton.org.uk/index.php/our-churches/slideshow

Site visit 12.11.2022