30 Ellison Place, Church of the Divine Unity

HER Number:
6245

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
30 Ellison Place, Church of the Divine Unity

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:

Class:
Religious Ritual and Funerary

Site Type: Broad:
Place of Worship

Site Type: Specific:
Baptist Chapel

General Period:
20TH CENTURY

Specific Period:
Mid 20th Century 1933 to 1966

Form of Evidence:
Extant Building

Description:
Baptist church and attached meeting room. 1938-40. Designed by Cackett, Burns Dick & Mackellar. Concrete and steel with brown brick cladding and reconstituted ashlar stone dressings and flat concrete roofs. Vertical brick plinth. Square east tower, nave with aisles, west gallery and north porch. Main north front has large recessed entrance with reconstituted stone triple archway with 4 rectangular panelled columns supporting a cornice, with simple iron railings and gates. Inner doorway has moulded surround and double panelled doors, flanked by windows with plain ashlar surrounds. To left 5 tall rectangular windows in plain ashlar surrounds and to right a single smaller 3-light casement window in similar surround. Single doorway at base of tower. Tower has very tall single window to north, west and south fronts with set back vertical brick parapet with ashlar coping. East end has entrance to Durant Hall with plain brick surround and recessed double panelled doors. East front has 3 windows with plain ashalr surrounds and flanking drainpipes. Projecting staircase towe to right 4 storey with 2 square windows to each floor. South front originall obscured by earlier building which have been demolished . INTERIOR has nave with aisles without arcades, raised raked gallery at west end, slightly raised chancel with organ chamber to north and vestry to south. Fittings include original wooden pews with decorated bench ends, and similar choir stalls. Large square wooden pulpit with inlaid wave bands and moulded top, similar altar and reading desk. Original globe light fittings. Abstract patterned reredos. Wooden organ case. Glazed panel doors and boxed heaters throughout. Fine square coffered ceilings to nave and aisles. Durant Hall and other rooms have similar high quality interior fittings. LISTED GRADE 2

Easting:
425240

Northing:
564660

Grid Reference:
NZ425240564660

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Department of National Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural and Historic Interest, 1833/17/10070; Grace McCombie, 2009, Pevsner Architectural Guides, Newcastle and Gateshead, p 192; N. Pevsner and I. Richmond (second edition revised by J. Grundy, G. McCombie, P. Ryder and H. Welfare) , 1992, The Buildings of England: Northumberland, p 431; Unitarians at Ellison Place, Church Folder, p 13