Ullet Road Church is a

Unitarian Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present ...

church at 57 Ullet Road,

Sefton Park Sefton Park is a public park in south Liverpool, England. The park is in a district of the same name, located roughly within the historic bounds of the large area of Toxteth Park. Neighbouring districts include modern-day Toxteth, Aigburth, ...

, Liverpool. Both the church and its attached hall are separately recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated Grade I listed buildings. It was the first place of worship in the United Kingdom to register a civil partnership for a same-sex couple. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British

Unitarians Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...

History

The predecessors of the congregation now worshipping in Ullet Road originated from a group of

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

during the later part of the 17th century, that is, in the immediate aftermath of the English Civil War. They originally gathered in a

meeting house A meeting house (meetinghouse, meeting-house) is a building where religious and sometimes public meetings take place. Terminology Nonconformist Protestant denominations distinguish between a * church, which is a body of people who believe in Chr ...

in Castle Hey, and in 1727 moved to a new chapel in Benn's Gardens. In 1811 they moved to another new chapel in Renshaw Street, and by this time had become

, as many

English Presbyterians Presbyterianism in England is practised by followers of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism who practise the Presbyterian form of church government. Dating in England as a movement from 1588, it is distinct from Continental and Scotti ...

did. Despite some opposition, in 1894 the congregation decided to move to what was then a suburb of Liverpool. The architects Thomas and Percy Worthington, Unitarians from Manchester, were commissioned to design the church and associated buildings. The church opened in June 1899, followed by the hall and other associated buildings in 1902.

Architecture

Church exterior

The church is constructed in red Ruabon brick with red sandstone dressings, and has roofs of

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

. The interior is lined with sandstone from quarries at Runcorn. The architectural style is

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

with

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

features. The church is aligned north–south, with the main entrance on the south side. Its plan consists of a three-bay narthex (entrance hall), a seven-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

nave with a

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

, narrow aisles, and a chancel with a polygonal apse. At the south end of the church is a three-arched structure resembling a bellcote, but without bells. Below the arches is a niche containing a statue of Christ, and under this is a

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

. The bays along the sides of the church are divided by gabled buttresses. Each aisle bay contains a two-light window, and in each bay of the clerestory is a taller three-light window. The windows contain Decorated-style tracery. The doors at the south end of the church and on the sides are in oak with beaten copper cladding in Art Nouveau style designed by Richard Llewellyn Rathbone.

Church interior

Inside the church, the nave is wide and the aisles are narrow, forming passages. The arcades are carried on round

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

. The walls of the chancel curve forward to incorporate the

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 ...

on one side and the reading desk on the other. Above the pulpit is a

sounding board A sounding board, also known as a tester and abat-voix is a structure placed above and sometimes also behind a pulpit or other speaking platform that helps to project the sound of the speaker. It is usually made of wood. The structure may be spe ...

, the underside of which is lined with beaten copper. On the front of the pulpit is a shield inscribed with ''Fiat Lux ( Let there be light)'', and on the front of the reading desk is a carved eagle. Behind the altar is a wooden

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

carved by H. H. Martyn of

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

based on Leonardo da Vinci's '' Last Supper''. On each side of the chancel are finely carved wooden choir stalls. Above those on the east side is an elaborate canopy in memory of Henry Tate carved by C. J. Allen. The

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...

was also carved by Allen; it is movable and was designed by Ronald Potter Jones. When it was built, the church was wired for electricity. This supplied power for the series of copper

electrolier Electrolier is a fixture for holding electric lamps. Normally, the term designates an elaborate light fixture suspended from above, such as a large, multi-bulb pendant light. Additionally, the term is used by architects in the United States to ...

s in the nave, which are in

Arts and Crafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

style and made by the Artificers' Guild of London. The

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

in the windows of the chancel, and in eight of the clerestory windows, was made by Morris & Co., based on designs by Edward Burne-Jones, and dated between 1901 and 1928. Of the later windows, two were made by James Powell and Sons of Whitefriars, and a third by William Wilson of Edinburgh. The three-

manual Manual may refer to: Instructions * User guide * Owner's manual * Instruction manual (gaming) * Online help Other uses * Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ * Manual (band) * Manual transmission * Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...

was moved to the present church from Renshaw Street. It had been built in 1869 by William Hill and Son, and repaired between 1873 and 1883 by Gray and Davidson. It was rebuilt in 1910 by Rushworth and Dreaper, and overhauled by the same firm in 1937.

Vestry and library

To the east of the chancel are the vestry and the library. These were commissioned by

Sir John Brunner The Brunner Baronetcy, of Druids Cross in the parish of Little Woolton in the County Palatine of Lancaster; of Winnington Old Hall in the parish of Winnington in the County Palatine of Chester; and of Ennismore Gardens in the parish of St Marga ...

and contain ceiling paintings by Gerald Moira. In the vestry the paintings are in four oval panels, and depict the virtues of Fortitude, Temperance, Justice, and Charity. The library ceiling reflects the

allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

of the ''Triumph of Truth''. It depicts the images of philosophers, writers and religious figures, and incorporates a portrait of Brunner. The main figure represents Truth held by Father Time. Originally depicted naked, the artist was persuaded to clothe her in "classical but revealing drapery".

Hall and cloister

To the east of the library is a cloister leading to the church hall. These were designed by Percy Worthington and have been designated separately from the church at Grade I. They form an L-shaped plan, with the hall standing parallel to the church. Like the church, they are in red brick, with stone dressings and slate roofs. This part of the complex was paid for by Sir John Brunner and the son of Henry Tate. The cloister contains memorials moved from the previous chapels. They include a bust of William Roscoe by John Gibson; memorials to Edward Rathbone who died in 1834, also by Gibson; to William Rathbone, who died in 1868, by J. H. Foley; to Charles Beard, who died in 1888, by J. E. Boehm; and to William Rathbone, who died in 1902, by C. J. Allen. The hall "has the appearance of a medieval banqueting hall". It is in five irregular bays; its roof is arch-braced, and it contains an arcade on its west side incorporating a large fireplace. Over the fireplace are the carved

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of the Brunner and Tate families. Rising from the centre of the open-timber roof is a

lantern A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...

surmounted by a cupola with an ogee-shaped roof. On the south side of the hall is a

canted Cant, CANT, canting, or canted may refer to: Language * Cant (language), a secret language * Beurla Reagaird, a language of the Scottish Highland Travellers * Scottish Cant, a language of the Scottish Lowland Travellers * Shelta or the Cant, a lan ...

bay window, and on the east side is a smaller circular bay window.

External features

Together, the buildings are grouped around three sides of a central garden. The authors of the '' Buildings of England'' series comment that this gives a " collegiate feel", a reference to an architectural quadrangle. The grading citations state that they form "one of the most elaborate Non-conformist ensembles in the country". The gardens are enclosed by a wall and gates that are designated at Grade II. The walls are in brick, with a stone plinth, coping and dressings. The original church entrance gates and the railings were designed by the architects, and constructed by George Wragge. The railings were removed during the Second World War. The gates were renovated and rehung in 1988, but were stolen a few weeks later.

Present day

Regular services are held in the church, and both the church and the hall are used for a variety of functions, including concerts and dances. Children are introduced to the church by a ceremony of Blessing (rather than by baptism). Weddings and funerals are arranged by the church. On 6 May 2012 it became the first place of worship in the United Kingdom to register a civil partnership for a same-sex couple.

Gallery

File:Ullet Road Unitarian Church, Liverpool (6).JPG, West front File:View towards Ullet Road Unitarian church hall.jpg, Exterior of cloister and church hall File:West window, Ullet Road church.jpg, Stained glass in western

Rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

File:Nave of Ullet Road church looking to rear.jpg, Nave looking west File:Nave of Ullet Road church.jpg, Nave looking east File:Chancel of Ullet Road church.jpg, High altar,

Last Supper carved by H.H. Martyn of Cheltenham, stained glass designed by Edward Burne-Jones and executed by William Morris File:Northwest chancel window, Ullet Road church.jpg, NorthWest window in apse, depicting "suffer the little children". Memorial to George Melly (d. 1894) File:East window, Ullet Road church.jpg, The east window in apse, by Burne-Jones/Morris Co. depicting Jesus as the Tree of Life, surrounded by the evangelists. File:Northeast chancel window, Ullet Road church.jpg, Northeast widow in apse, by Burne-Jones/Morris Co. depicting the ascension. Memorial to George Holt (d.1896) File:Organ, Ullet Road church.jpg, The choir stalls and organ File:Font, Ullet Road church.jpg, The font File:Vestry of Ullet Road church.jpg, The Vestry File:Library of Ullet Road church 2.jpg, The Library File:Cloister of Ullet Road church 2.jpg, The Cloister File:Cloister of Ullet Road church.jpg, The Cloister File:William Roscoe memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, Memorial to William Roscoe, in cloister, carved by John Gibson File:Edward Roscoe memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, Edward Roscoe Memorial, in cloister, by John Gibson File:William Rathbone (d. 1868) memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, William Rathbone V memorial in cloister, by John Henry Foley File:Henry Booth memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, Memorial to Henry Booth, in cloister File:Charles Beard memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, Memorial to Charles Beard, Minister of the church, in cloister, by Joseph Edgar Boehm File:Benson Rathbone memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, Memorial to Benson Rathbone, in cloister File:William Rathbone VI memorial, Ullet Road church.jpg, Memorial to William Rathbone VI, in cloister, by C.J. Allen

References

Bibliography

* * {{Liverpool B&S Churches in Liverpool Grade I listed buildings in Liverpool Unitarian chapels in England Liverpool, Ullet Road Unitarian Church Churches completed in 1898 Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in Merseyside 17th-century Protestant churches Art Nouveau architecture in Liverpool Art Nouveau church buildings in the United Kingdom 1898 establishments in England