Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/176

 HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLAOT) 149 ministers who had travelled in the circuit ; a circuit plan ; a copper coin, bearing the date of the current year ; and a photograph of the old chapel, were then placed in a bottle and deposited in a cavity of the stone. Mr. M. Braithwaite, senr., then presented a silver trowel to Mr. Youll, and that gentleman having laid the foundation stone, addressed the assemblage at some length. A collection was made at the close of the ceremony, and the children and friends then returned to the school, where tea was provided for them. After tea, a public meeting was held in the same room, the chair being occupied by the Rev. H. Hayman, and addresses were delivered by several ministers and friends. On Tuesday, July 24th, 1866, the building was again opened for divine service. In the course of the day, a varied assortment of needlework and children's wearing apparel was exhibited for sale in the large vestry behind the chapeL In the afternoon, a sermon was preached to a large and attentive congregation by the Rev. J. Rattenbury, of London; at the conclusion of which the greater portion of the company proceeded to the Town HaU, where a tastefully-prepared tea had been provided, and of which about 500 partook. During tea, Mr. Brotherton's quadrille band added considerably to the enjoyment of the meeting by playing a choice selection of popular airs. The services of the day were concluded by another eloquent and appropriate sermon, preached by the above-named reverend gentleman. The proceeds of the day, inclusive of the collections, amounted to the sum of £75. The new building — ^which bears no very decided architectural features, and may be classed amongst those of the modified Italian — stands in exactly the same position as the two former chapels, the front of the edifice facing North Bondgate. The western side is totally hid from sight by the adjoining property, whilst the eastern side is very imperfectly seen from the street, hence the ornamentation of the exterior is entirely confined to the south front, which is treated in a manner to give the greatest possible apparent height. The centre part is slightly advanced from the sides, and flat pillars are formed at the angles to give additional vertical lines. The two entrance doors are placed in a gabled projection, with a circular sexfoiled window over them. The jambs of the doors are ornamented with shafts with carved caps and moulded bases and boldly moulded arches. On either side of the doors are small windows lighting the lobby, and in the wings at some distance from the ground are windows with a central shaft with cap and base, lighting the staircases leading from the lobby to the gallery. The upper part of the centre of the front has a stepping corbel table following the line of the roof, and in the space between this and the gable over the entrance doors are placed three windows, the middle one having two lights, with a stone mullion and arched heads, enclosed in a stilted semicircular arch highly moulded, and a circular light in the head. The spandrils are filled with flat carved foliage. On each side of the two-light windows are smaller ones with circular heads, panelled pilasters, carved caps, and bases between them. The gable is finished with a boldly-moulded tabling. The length of the chapel is now 60 feet and the width 42 feet, providing ample sitting accom- modation for about 700 persons. The arrangement of the interior is symmetrical, an aisle being carried the length of the chapel from each entrance door, with seats in the centre group, varying from 3 feet 6 inches wide to 2 feet 9 inches wide, whilst those against the walls are somewhat less. The gallery front is panelled and moulded, and is, together with the rest of the interior wood work, stained and varnished. The lighting is principally by two sunlights in the ceiling, and wall brackets under the gallery. At the north end of the building, under the organ gallery, is a minister's vestry, and behind that a large vestry, 30 feet by 20 feet. As has already been stated, the designs for the building were furnished by Mr F. R N. Haswell, architect, of North Shields, under whose superintendence the entire work was carried out. The contractors were — ^For the mason work, Mr. John Watson; joiner work, Messrs. Braithwaite and Son ; painting, Mr. Thos. Pallister, Bishop Auckland ; iron-founding, Messrs. Digitized by Google