Ullet Road Church is a Unitarian church at 57 Ullet Road,

Sefton Park Sefton Park is a public park in south Liverpool, England. The park is in a conservation district of the same name, It is the largest public park in Liverpool and the Liverpool City Region. Suburbs neighbouring the park include Toxteth, Aigb ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. Both the church and its attached hall are separately recorded in the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, ...

as designated Grade I

listed buildings 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, H ...

. It was the first place of worship in the United Kingdom to register a

civil partnership A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, primarily created to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage, with ch ...

for a same-sex couple. It is a member of the

General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GAUFCC or colloquially British Unitarians) is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christians, and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom and Ire ...

, the

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and iden ...

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 historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

during the later part of the 17th century, that is, in the immediate aftermath of the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

. They originally gathered in a

meeting house A meeting house (also spelled meetinghouse or meeting-house) is a building where religious and sometimes private meetings take place. Terminology Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist Protestant denominations distinguish between a: * chu ...

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 Scottish ...

did. Despite some opposition, in 1894 the congregation decided to move to what was then a suburb of Liverpool. The architects

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

and

Percy Worthington Sir Percy Scott Worthington (31 January 1864 – 15 July 1939) was an English architect. He was born in Crumpsall, Manchester, the eldest son of the architect Thomas Worthington (architect), Thomas Worthington. He was educated at Clifton Colleg ...

, Unitarians from

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, 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 Ruabon (; ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The name comes from ''Rhiw Fabon'', ''rhiw'' being the Welsh word for "slope" or "hillside" and ''Fabon'' being a mutation from St Mabon, the original church name, of e ...

with red

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

dressings, and has roofs of

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

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 ro ...

. The interior is lined with sandstone from quarries at

Runcorn Runcorn is an industrial town and Runcorn Docks, cargo port in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England. Runcorn is on the south bank of the River Mersey, where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. It is upstream from the port of Live ...

. The architectural style is

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

with

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

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

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of Early Christian art and architecture, early Christian and Byzantine architecture, Byzantine basilicas and Church architecture, churches consisting of the entrance or Vestibule (architecture), ve ...

(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'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

with a

clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...

, narrow

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

s, and a

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

with a polygonal

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

. At the south end of the church is a three-arched structure resembling a

bellcote A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...

, but without bells. Below the arches is a

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development and growth *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ec ...

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'' wa ...

. The bays along the sides of the church are divided by

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

es. 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 Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support th ...

. 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, accesse ...

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 A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platf ...

, 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 "Let there be light" is an English translation of the Hebrew (''yehi 'or'') found in Genesis 1:3 of the Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. In Old Testament translations of the phrase, translations include the Greek phrase (''genēt ...

)'', 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 (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

carved by H. H. Martyn & Co. of

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

based on

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

's ''

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...

''. On each side of the chancel are finely carved wooden

choir stall A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...

s. Above those on the east side is an elaborate

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

in memory of

Henry Tate Sir Henry Tate, 1st Baronet (11 March 18195 December 1899) was an English merchant and philanthropist, noted for establishing the Tate Britain, Tate Gallery and the company that became Tate & Lyle. Early life Henry Tate was born in White Copp ...

carved by C. J. Allen. The

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...

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 light fixture that holds 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 S ...

s in the nave, which are in

Arts and Crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

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

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

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 Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August 183317 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. Burne-Jones worked with William Morris as a founding part ...

, and dated between 1901 and 1928. Of the later windows, two were made by

James Powell and Sons The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were London-based English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained-glass window manufacturers. As Whitefriars Glass, the company existed from the 18th century, but became well kno ...

of Whitefriars, and a third by William Wilson of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. The three- manual

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...

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

Rushworth and Dreaper Rushworth and Dreaper was a firm of organ builders, and later general instrument suppliers associated with Paul McCartney, based in Liverpool. The manufacturer was founded in 1828 by William Rushworth (organ builder), William Rushworth. In th ...

, and overhauled by the same firm in 1937.

Vestry and library

To the east of the chancel are the

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...

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 Mar ...

and contain ceiling paintings by

Gerald Moira Gerald Edward Moira (26 January 1867 – 2 August 1959) was an English painter who became best known for his murals. Gerald Moira was born in London, the son of a former Portuguese diplomat who became a miniature painter. He first exhibited at ...

. In the vestry the paintings are in four oval panels, and depict the

virtues A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is valued as an end purpose of life or a foundational pri ...

of Fortitude, Temperance,

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

, and

Charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

. The library ceiling reflects the

allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...

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 Father Time is a personification of time, in particular the progression of history and the approach of death. In recent centuries, he is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, sometimes with wings, dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe ...

. 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 A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

leading to the

church hall A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church, generally for community and charitable use. In smaller and village communities, it is often a separate building near the church, while on more restricted urban sites ...

. 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 (sculpture), bust of William Roscoe by John Gibson (sculptor), John Gibson; memorials to Edward Rathbone who died in 1834, also by Gibson; to William Rathbone V, William Rathbone, who died in 1868, by J. H. Foley; to Charles Beard, who died in 1888, by Joseph Boehm, J. E. Boehm; and to William Rathbone VI, William Rathbone, who died in 1902, by C. J. Allen. The hall "has the appearance of a Middle Ages, 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 coat of arms, arms of the Brunner and Tate families. Rising from the centre of the open-timber roof is a roof lantern, lantern surmounted by a cupola with an ogee-shaped roof. On the south side of the hall is a Cant (architecture), canted 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 ''Pevsner Architectural Guides, Buildings of England'' series comment that this gives a "Colleges within universities in the United Kingdom, collegiate feel", a reference to Quadrangle (architecture), an architectural quadrangle. The grading citations state that they form "one of the most elaborate Nonconformist (Protestantism), 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 (architecture), 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

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 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 (sculptor), 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 (sculptor), C.J. Allen

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Liverpool B&S Churches in Liverpool Grade I listed buildings in Liverpool Unitarian chapels in England Grade I listed churches in Merseyside, 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