Trinity Congregational Church, Arundel
Encyclopedia
Trinity Congregational Church, later known as Union Chapel, is a former place of worship for Congregationalists and Independent Christians in Arundel
, an ancient town in the Arun
district of West Sussex
, England. Protestant
Nonconformism
has always been strong in the town, and the chapel's founding congregation emerged in the 1780s. After worshipping elsewhere in the town, they founded the present building in the 1830s and remained for many years. Former pastors included the poet George MacDonald
. Robert Abraham's distinctive neo-Norman/Romanesque Revival
building was converted into a market in the 1980s and has been renamed Nineveh House. English Heritage
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
Nonconformism
—Christian worship which stood apart from both the Established Anglican Church
and Roman Catholicism—was successful and influential in Sussex from the 17th century. Although East Sussex had greater numbers of Nonconformists and more chapels, some parts of West Sussex were hotbeds of Protestant dissent
. Among these was the ancient hilltop town of Arundel
, on the River Arun
inland from the English Channel
coast. Several groups founded congregations there in the 17th century, including Presbyterians
, Quakers
and Baptists.
A period of decline for Nonconformist worship was reversed in the late 18th century, and a group of Independent Christians
(who advocated Congregationalist polity
) began meeting in 1780. In 1784, they erected a chapel in Tarrant Street in the town centre. The congregation had early links with Presbyterianism and the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
, a localised Calvinistic
sect, but by the 19th century the chapel was aligned with the Congregational Church.
The congregation thrived in the early 19th century: a Sunday school
and a choir were established in the 1810s, and the building was extended in 1822. Membership was recorded as 150 in 1829. In 1836, a site adjacent to the chapel was acquired for a new chapel. The contract to design and built it was issued on 18 July 1836. London-based architect Robert Abraham won the commmission, and building work lasted from 1836 until 1838, when the new chapel was consecrated. The new building was larger and had a hall underneath, originally used as a schoolroom. Abraham was working on Arundel town hall at the same time, and the buildings have some similarities of design.
George MacDonald
, the Scottish poet and children's writer, became the pastor in 1850, but his views and sermons were unpopular and he resigned three years later. He had trained as a Congregational pastor at Highbury Theological College
, but did not finish the course which he began in 1848 and took up the position at Arundel after spending some time as a travelling preacher. His preaching was influenced by his poetry and did not suit the congregation's beliefs; he left in May 1853 after his stipend
was cut, and turned to writing.
The church founded several other congregations and chapels in the area during the 19th century, starting at Yapton
in the 1840s: the present building, a Grade II-listed flint structure with an attached Sunday school, was put up in 1861 and now houses an Evangelical
congregation. Providence Congregational Chapel was founded at Marehill
, near Pulborough
, in 1845; its successor, built in the 1950s in Pulborough town centre, is now known as Pulborough United Reformed Church. Amberley Congregational Chapel in Amberley
was founded in 1867 and was used for worship until 1978. At Trinity Church, attendance at the time of the 1851 Census was over 100, and more than 100 children went to the Sunday school in the hall under the church. Ministers were housed in a manse
further along Tarrant Street.
The church became known as Arundel Union Church (or simply Union Church) in 1966 when the congregation of the Arundel Baptist chapel joined; this allowed their building in in Arun Street to be closed and sold. The Congregational denomination merged with the Presbyterian Church of England and some smaller denominations in 1972 to form the United Reformed Church
, which prompted the Baptist members of the congregation to split from the church in 1973 and join Angmering Baptist Church
until they built a new church of their own in Arundel in 1980. Meanwhile, United Reformed services were held at Union Church until 1981, but the building was sold during the 1980s. Since 1990 it has housed the Arundel Arts, Crafts and Antiques Market, which has 16 stalls and is open daily. The name Nineveh House has been adopted since the building was converted to commercial use. It was listed at Grade II by English Heritage on 7 October 1974. This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 913 Grade II listed buildings, and 960 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Arun.
style in the architectural history of Nonconformist chapels in Sussex. There are also elements of Neo-Norman architecture. Ian Nairn
dismissed the building as "not good", and notes its similarity to the "gloomy" town hall and council offices of 1836 by Abrahams.
The façade is of knapped flint with galletting and stone quoins
, dressings, buttress
es and string-courses
. The side walls have red and grey brickwork and knapped flint. The front elevation is divided into three equal-width bays
by full-height ashlar
-faced stone buttresses in the form of pilaster
s, which terminate at a stone string-course separating the gable
d slate roof (enclosing attic space) from the body of the two-storey building. The eaves
are supported on ashlar corbel
s. Below the gable, at the attic level, is a louvred
round-arched window surrounded by roll-moulding
. The first floor has three tall windows with round heads, and the centrally placed entrance at ground-floor level is set into a similar arch flanked by capital
-topped colonnettes (small medieval-style shafts). The stone used for the window and door surrounds, string-courses and buttresses was quarried at nearby Pulborough. Inside, the original gallery on the north wall (surrounding the entrance) survives, but those on the west and east sides have been removed.
There was originally a garden at the front. Its surrounding walls and gate piers
are included in the English Heritage listing. They are of brick with inlaid flints and stone dressings and coping
. The piers are also of stone from Pulborough, and have string-courses and decorative panelling.
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
, an ancient town in the Arun
Arun
Arun is a local government district in West Sussex, England. It contains the towns of Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, and takes its name from the River Arun, which runs through the centre of the district.-History:...
district of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England. Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Nonconformism
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
has always been strong in the town, and the chapel's founding congregation emerged in the 1780s. After worshipping elsewhere in the town, they founded the present building in the 1830s and remained for many years. Former pastors included the poet George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
. Robert Abraham's distinctive neo-Norman/Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
building was converted into a market in the 1980s and has been renamed Nineveh House. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
History
ProtestantProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Nonconformism
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
—Christian worship which stood apart from both the Established Anglican Church
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
and Roman Catholicism—was successful and influential in Sussex from the 17th century. Although East Sussex had greater numbers of Nonconformists and more chapels, some parts of West Sussex were hotbeds of Protestant dissent
Dissenter
The term dissenter , labels one who disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. In the social and religious history of England and Wales, however, it refers particularly to a member of a religious body who has, for one reason or another, separated from the Established Church.Originally, the term...
. Among these was the ancient hilltop town of Arundel
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
, on the River Arun
River Arun
The Arun is a river in the English county of West Sussex. Its source is a series of small streams in the St Leonard's Forest area, to the east of Horsham...
inland from the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
coast. Several groups founded congregations there in the 17th century, including Presbyterians
English Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism in England is distinct from Continental and Scottish forms of Presbyterianism. Whereas in Scotland, church government is based on a meeting of delegates, in England the individual congregation is the primary body of government...
, Quakers
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
and Baptists.
A period of decline for Nonconformist worship was reversed in the late 18th century, and a group of Independent Christians
Independent (religion)
In English church history, Independents advocated local congregational control of religious and church matters, without any wider geographical hierarchy, either ecclesiastical or political...
(who advocated Congregationalist polity
Congregationalist polity
Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local church congregation is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous"...
) began meeting in 1780. In 1784, they erected a chapel in Tarrant Street in the town centre. The congregation had early links with Presbyterianism and the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina, Countess of Huntingdon as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist Methodist movement of George Whitefield...
, a localised Calvinistic
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
sect, but by the 19th century the chapel was aligned with the Congregational Church.
The congregation thrived in the early 19th century: a Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
and a choir were established in the 1810s, and the building was extended in 1822. Membership was recorded as 150 in 1829. In 1836, a site adjacent to the chapel was acquired for a new chapel. The contract to design and built it was issued on 18 July 1836. London-based architect Robert Abraham won the commmission, and building work lasted from 1836 until 1838, when the new chapel was consecrated. The new building was larger and had a hall underneath, originally used as a schoolroom. Abraham was working on Arundel town hall at the same time, and the buildings have some similarities of design.
George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
, the Scottish poet and children's writer, became the pastor in 1850, but his views and sermons were unpopular and he resigned three years later. He had trained as a Congregational pastor at Highbury Theological College
Highbury College (Dissenting Academy)
Highbury College was a dissenting academy, that is, a school or college set up by English Dissenters. Its most famous student was Christopher Newman Hall. It had a high reputation, and in time it was amalgamated into New College London.-History:...
, but did not finish the course which he began in 1848 and took up the position at Arundel after spending some time as a travelling preacher. His preaching was influenced by his poetry and did not suit the congregation's beliefs; he left in May 1853 after his stipend
Stipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
was cut, and turned to writing.
The church founded several other congregations and chapels in the area during the 19th century, starting at Yapton
Yapton
Yapton is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is three miles to the north-west of Bognor Regis at the intersection of the B2132 and B2233 roads...
in the 1840s: the present building, a Grade II-listed flint structure with an attached Sunday school, was put up in 1861 and now houses an Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
congregation. Providence Congregational Chapel was founded at Marehill
Marehill
Marehill is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the A283 road 0.6 miles east of Pulborough....
, near Pulborough
Pulborough
Pulborough is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north-south A29 and the east-west roads.The village is near the...
, in 1845; its successor, built in the 1950s in Pulborough town centre, is now known as Pulborough United Reformed Church. Amberley Congregational Chapel in Amberley
Amberley, West Sussex
Amberley is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England.Amberley is situated at the foot of the South Downs. Its neighbours are Storrington, West Chiltington and Arundel. The village is noted for its many thatched cottages...
was founded in 1867 and was used for worship until 1978. At Trinity Church, attendance at the time of the 1851 Census was over 100, and more than 100 children went to the Sunday school in the hall under the church. Ministers were housed in a manse
Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
further along Tarrant Street.
The church became known as Arundel Union Church (or simply Union Church) in 1966 when the congregation of the Arundel Baptist chapel joined; this allowed their building in in Arun Street to be closed and sold. The Congregational denomination merged with the Presbyterian Church of England and some smaller denominations in 1972 to form the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
, which prompted the Baptist members of the congregation to split from the church in 1973 and join Angmering Baptist Church
Angmering Baptist Church
The present Angmering Baptist Church and its predecessor building, known as Church of Christ, are respectively the current and former Baptist places of worship in Angmering, a village in the Arun district of West Sussex, England. Baptist worship in the area can be traced back to 1846, when the...
until they built a new church of their own in Arundel in 1980. Meanwhile, United Reformed services were held at Union Church until 1981, but the building was sold during the 1980s. Since 1990 it has housed the Arundel Arts, Crafts and Antiques Market, which has 16 stalls and is open daily. The name Nineveh House has been adopted since the building was converted to commercial use. It was listed at Grade II by English Heritage on 7 October 1974. This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 913 Grade II listed buildings, and 960 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Arun.
Architecture
Robert Abraham's design represents a "brief appearance" of the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style in the architectural history of Nonconformist chapels in Sussex. There are also elements of Neo-Norman architecture. Ian Nairn
Ian Nairn
Ian Nairn was a British architectural critic and topographer.He had no formal architecture qualifications; he was a mathematics graduate and a Royal Air Force pilot...
dismissed the building as "not good", and notes its similarity to the "gloomy" town hall and council offices of 1836 by Abrahams.
The façade is of knapped flint with galletting and stone quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
, dressings, buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and string-courses
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
. The side walls have red and grey brickwork and knapped flint. The front elevation is divided into three equal-width bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
by full-height ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
-faced stone buttresses in the form of pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s, which terminate at a stone string-course separating the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d slate roof (enclosing attic space) from the body of the two-storey building. The eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
are supported on ashlar corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. Below the gable, at the attic level, is a louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
round-arched window surrounded by roll-moulding
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
. The first floor has three tall windows with round heads, and the centrally placed entrance at ground-floor level is set into a similar arch flanked by capital
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
-topped colonnettes (small medieval-style shafts). The stone used for the window and door surrounds, string-courses and buttresses was quarried at nearby Pulborough. Inside, the original gallery on the north wall (surrounding the entrance) survives, but those on the west and east sides have been removed.
There was originally a garden at the front. Its surrounding walls and gate piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
are included in the English Heritage listing. They are of brick with inlaid flints and stone dressings and coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
. The piers are also of stone from Pulborough, and have string-courses and decorative panelling.