Building record MLI91968 - Boston Baptist Church, High Street, Boston

Summary

New Connexion General Baptist chapel, incorporating a school and other ancillary buildings, in High Street, Boston and a burial ground in White Horse Lane.

Type and Period (4)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

The chapel belongs to one of the oldest Baptist communities in the country which was established before 1653 and which united with the New Connexion of General Baptists in 1770. The earliest Baptist chapel in Boston lay possibly in Spain Lane (PRN 14005) and a Baptist chapel is marked on a map of 1741 in Deal Yard (PRN 14001). The Baptist congregation then moved to premises in Skirbeck Quarter south of the Old Hammond Beck before 1739 (PRN 14006). The first chapel on the site of the present chapel was built in 1763 on the street known as both Goat Street and High Street. This chapel is marked at the site on a map of 1829. A reset stone tablet below the lower central window of the extant chapel is inscribed 'Built 1763 Mr Jn Saul'. There was an associated burial ground in White Horse Lane which appears on the 1968 OS map. A wall of this burial ground survives in which several worn stone memorial tablets, and a stone commemorating the former site, are set. It was originally known as the Anabaptist Burial Ground and later as the Dissenters Burial Ground. It probably served the other Baptist chapels and in the vicinity and possibly other nonconformist groups. The first recorded burial was in 1767 and the burial ground ceased to be used when the Boston General Cemetery was opened in 1865, though it had been largely disused since 1847. This chapel was demolished in 1837 when it became inadequate for the growing congregation and the surviving chapel was built on the site in that year. An engraving of the former building shows that it had a pedimented gable and entrance which was situated between 2 round-headed windows, with keystones, with a Venetian window above. There were 2 tiers of windows on the front elevation. Galleries and staircases were added to the present chapel in 1841 and 1853. The façade, of 2 storeys, has 5 bays with raised gables with dog-tooth brick work and stone copings. The front block is built of gault brick though the remainder of the chapel is constructed of red brick. The central 3 bays have stepped diagonal buttresses with plain pyramidal stone pinnacles and stone cappings. The tall central bay contains a 3-light window with intersecting Gothic glazing bars and has a stone string-course. The other upper windows of the front block have four-centred arches and 2 pointed lights. All have moulded stone hoodmoulds. The 2nd and 4th bays have gabled porches and panelled double doors. The façade has a low stone plinth. Red brick ancillary buildings, including a school room, were added behind the chapel in 1864. There is an internal gallery (on cast iron piers) and other internal fittings survive though the pulpit has been removed. A stone tablet in the central gable gives the date of 1837. An associated school room was built in Witham Green in 1842 which was described as also being used for worship, in the winter, in 1856 and a chapel is recorded there in the Census of Religious Worship PRN 14010. For the full description and the legal address of this Grade II Listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7}{8}{9}{10}{11}

Sources/Archives (11)

  •  Digital Archive: Lincolnshire County Council. 2004-2009. GIS layer depicting locations and survival of nonconformist chapels. 13964.
  •  Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-06. 25 Inch County Series Map - Second Edition. 1:2500. 108/12 109/9.
  •  Map: Ordnance Survey. 1970. 1:10000 Ordnance Survey Series Map. 1:10000. TF 34 SW.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.161.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William White. 1856. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire (Second Edition). pp.283-4.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: R.W. Ambler. 1979. Lincolnshire Returns of the Census of Religious Worship, 1851. pp.49-50, no.249.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Christopher Stell. 2002. Inventory of Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting Houses in Eastern England. p.198, no.38.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Pishey Thompson. 1856. The Histories and Antiquities of Boston. pp.259, 261-2, 294.
  •  Index: Department of Culture, Media and Sport. 1999. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 716-1/10/66.
  •  Map: HALL R. 1741. A PLAN OF THE BOROUGH AND PORT OF BOSTON. -.
  •  Map: Wood, John. 1829. Plan of Boston Environs. -.

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Grid reference Centred TF 32770 43623 (26m by 33m) Surveyed
Civil Parish BOSTON, BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Sep 27 2023 11:36AM

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