King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield is in the town of

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

History

The chapel was built in 1690, soon after the passing of the Act of Toleration 1689. Initially an independent chapel in the Trinitarian tradition it became Unitarian during the ministry of

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between 1764 and 1780. Around 1800 the internal south gallery was removed. In the early 19th century a number of

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features were introduced to the interior. In 1825 it acquired its current name, changed from Back Street Chapel. The old box pews were replaced with bench pews in 1930. It is still in use as a Unitarian chapel.

Architecture

Exterior

The chapel lies behind other buildings and is approached by a narrow passageway from King Edward Street. It is built from local red sandstone and has a pair of external staircases leading to the east and west galleries. A lead downspout bears the date 1690. The chapel is long and wide.

Interior

A high two-decker

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

is in the middle of the north side. Galleries are at the east and west ends. In the vestry are oil portraits of Thomas Culcheth, minister from 1717 to 1751, and his wife. There is an elaborately carved chair by William Leicester made in 1688. The communion table which was presented to the chapel in 1894 is also elaborately carved. The alabaster christening bowl and its cover are dated 1842. In the east gallery is a two-

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organ dated 1846, made by John Bellamy. There are no memorials or gravestones. The registers date from 1713 and the treasurers' cash books from 1708.

References

External links