Broad Street Independent Chapel is a former nonconformist

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

dating from 1707. It is situated in Broad Street, now the principal shopping street of the English town of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

. The building has been reused as a branch of the Waterstone's chain of

bookshop Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, book people, bookmen, or bookwomen. History The foundi ...

s. The building is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

History

The main building was built in 1707 and is set back from Broad Street. The interior is roughly square with encircling galleries, and a domed ceiling with

modillion A modillion is an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel. They are often seen underneath a Cornice (architecture), cornice which helps to support them. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally transl ...

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...

. Later additions were made to the side and rear of the original building. In 1892 a separate frontage building was built along the building line of Broad Street, with an arch surmounted by a tower, itself capped by octagonal turret, and flanked by two shops. Waterstone's now occupies both the chapel building and most of the frontage building (one shop unit being independently occupied). The frontage building has been linked to the main chapel by a lightweight modern glass-roofed conservatory. The galleries of the main chapel now form part of the shop, with a sweeping staircase in the centre linking the two floors. Details of baptisms and marriages at the church between 1720 and 1837 are available on the International Genealogical Index produced by the LDS Church. William Blackall Simonds, the founder of H & G Simonds Brewery and J & C Simonds Bank, was baptised at the chapel on 13 August 1761.

References

External links

Reading, Broad Street Independent Grade II listed buildings in Reading Retail buildings in England Bookshops of England Grade II listed churches in Berkshire {{England-church-stub