Octagon Chapel, Bath
Encyclopedia
The Octagon Chapel in Milsom Street
, Bath, Somerset
, England was built in 1767 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
, made a point of engaging a pew for as long as they stayed in the city, hiring it at the same time as they hired their lodgings. The most expensive of these were like small rooms, each with its own fireplace and easy chairs. Between service and sermon, an interval was allowed during which footmen poked the fires and saw that their master and mistress were comfortable. The church, as a popular venue to "see and be seen", was not popular with The 'Enthusiastics', later known as Methodists.
William Herschel
was appointed as the organist in 1766 and gave his introductory concert on 1 Jan 1767. As the organ was still incomplete he performed his own compositions including a violin
concerto
, an oboe
concerto and a harpsichord
sonata
. The organ was completed in October 1767. The organ was built by Snezler. Part of the keyboards and pipes have survived and are on display at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy.
In 1858 William Connor Magee published a book of sermons he had given at the chapel.
The vaults of this building were let out to a wine merchant, which gave rise to the verses by Christopher Anstey
:
Since the building was leasehold, it was never consecrated, so when it fell into disuse in the 1890s Mallett Antiques
took it over. New showrooms were built on each side of the church, with workshops and storage in the basement. A gas engine
was installed to drive the polishing lathe
s, work the lift, make the electric light and, by means of a fan, circulate air through every part of the building.
In World War II
it was used as a food office and after the war was restored, opening as an art exhibition space for the Bath Festival
of 1951.
It later served as the headquarters of the Royal Photographic Society
.
In 2008 to 2009 it was converted for retail and restaurant use.
Milsom Street, Bath
Milsom Street in Bath, Somerset, England was built in 1762 by Thomas Lightholder. The buildings were originally grand town houses, but most are now used as shops, offices and banks. They have 3 storeys with mansard roofs and Corinthian columns....
, Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England was built in 1767 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
History
The building was designed as a church by the architect Timothy Lightholder or Lightoler, whose specific brief was to produce a structure which would be warm, comfortable and well lit. The Octagon fulfilled all of these requirements, and it became a fashionable church. Eminent and distinguished visitors, including Jane AustenJane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
, made a point of engaging a pew for as long as they stayed in the city, hiring it at the same time as they hired their lodgings. The most expensive of these were like small rooms, each with its own fireplace and easy chairs. Between service and sermon, an interval was allowed during which footmen poked the fires and saw that their master and mistress were comfortable. The church, as a popular venue to "see and be seen", was not popular with The 'Enthusiastics', later known as Methodists.
William Herschel
William Herschel
Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer. Born in Hanover, Wilhelm first followed his father into the Military Band of Hanover, but emigrated to Britain at age 19...
was appointed as the organist in 1766 and gave his introductory concert on 1 Jan 1767. As the organ was still incomplete he performed his own compositions including a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
, an oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
concerto and a harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
. The organ was completed in October 1767. The organ was built by Snezler. Part of the keyboards and pipes have survived and are on display at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy.
In 1858 William Connor Magee published a book of sermons he had given at the chapel.
The vaults of this building were let out to a wine merchant, which gave rise to the verses by Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey was an English writer and poet.Anstey was the son of Dr. Anstey, a wealthy clergyman, the rector of Brinkley where he was born. He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself for his Latin verses. He became a fellow of his college...
:
Spirits above and spirits below,
Spirits of Bliss and spirits of woe,
The spirits above are spirits Divine,
The spirits below are spirits of wine.
Since the building was leasehold, it was never consecrated, so when it fell into disuse in the 1890s Mallett Antiques
Mallett Antiques
Mallett Antiques is an antique dealers with galleries in London and New York and regularly exhibit at the International Fine Art & Antique fairs.Mallett & Son Antiques is one of England's oldest antique dealers of fine antique furniture and decorative arts...
took it over. New showrooms were built on each side of the church, with workshops and storage in the basement. A gas engine
Gas engine
A gas engine means an engine running on a gas, such as coal gas, producer gas biogas, landfill gas, or natural gas. In the UK, the term is unambiguous...
was installed to drive the polishing lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
s, work the lift, make the electric light and, by means of a fan, circulate air through every part of the building.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used as a food office and after the war was restored, opening as an art exhibition space for the Bath Festival
Bath International Music Festival
The Bath International Music Festival, also known as the Bath Music Fest, is held each summer in Bath, South West England. Inaugurated in 1948, the festival includes many genres such as orchestral, contemporary jazz, folk and electronica...
of 1951.
It later served as the headquarters of the Royal Photographic Society
Royal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society is the world's oldest national photographic society. It was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the Art and Science of Photography...
.
In 2008 to 2009 it was converted for retail and restaurant use.