Whitfield Tabernacle
Whitfield Tabernacle is a grade I listed building (due to its religious significance) and is on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk register.
It was originally built in 1741. It wasn't large enough for its purpose so it was then expanded in 1802 and again in 1830. It originally had a pantile roof with 3 hipped sections, lying front to back with the middle section taller than the others, but arson has left the structure pretty much roofless and a shell.
On the side there used to be a bronze plaque that read, "This building was erected by - George Whitfield BA and John Cennick AD 1741 - it is - Whitfield's first tabernacle, the oldest existing memorial to his great share in the 18th century revival."
Just west of Whitfield Tabernacle is a mid 19th century, large Gothic church building, designed by Henry Masters and built in 1851. In the late 20th century, dwindling congregations forced its closure and the church congregation moved back into the original building before eventually joining the Moravian Church across the other side of the High Street.
The Whitefield Building Preservation Trust was set up in 1995 to fight to save the Tabernacle. Its aim is to repair and then re-open the building for community use. Whitfield Tabernacle was designated as a conservation area on 15th January 1996.
The United Reformed Church sold the plot to a developer and plans were submitted in late 2006 to restore the Tabernacle and convert it into a restaurant. There were also plans to convert the Masters Church into 19 apartments, with a service road and car parking proposed for the disused burial ground.
In February 2011 the site was still derelict although the large disused churchyard had been cleared of vegetation. In February 2015 the site was still derelict and the graveyard was once again overgrown.
Today, Crossman Homes owns the site. The house builder has been granted planning permission and listed building consent for the conversion of Masters Church, which will be converted into 19 flats, and there will also be three new-build homes and a park built on the site. The company is also working with council planners and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to sympathetically restore and protect existing graves on the site. Work on the site started December 2019.
My visit started a couple of weeks ago by having a daytime visit to look at what was going on, whether access was possible and how far works had gone. I then decided to have a go at gaining access to Masters Church, I just had to wait for my opportunity...
Finally, it was time...although it doesn't look quite the same at night!
On arrival, I went in through a kind of hidden but moderately easily accessible area. There was a bit of climbing to do, but nothing too bad. Everything is fenced off, just not quite well enough. I found the access point to the church window I'd heard about elsewhere, with the makeshift "ladder" still in place. Having climbed up I had a look inside.
Being my first solo UE, in the dark, in a derelict church, I'll admit my adrenaline was going. I had a good old look, quite a long drop if you don't enter correctly, so you need to be a bit flexible. I managed to carefully hoick myself in. I took a moment to survey my surroundings. Wow, I was expecting derelict but this was worse than I imagined.
Having taken a load of photos stuck to the same (what looked like) safe spot I decided I ought to venture around and have a better look. I went down one of the stone supports seeing as pretty much everything wooden in the place is rotten and falling apart.
Down either side you can see what would have been underneath the original floor. I did look at going down there but the effort it involved for everything being blocked up seemed a little too much for me. Maybe if I had been with others it would have been different?
I gingerly made my way over towards the front of the building, all the while trying to stay away from the rotten floor and on something more solid
I carried on, not realising that I was going to have a near heart attack courtesy of a few pigeons which had taken up residence on the beams of the roof. Did make me stop and get a nice view of the moon coming in through the lack of roof however, so I guess I should be grateful there.
More evidence of underground tunnels and rooms. Not sure if these would have been burial rooms or rooms for preparing for services? I have to admit, they don't look like they would have high ceilings if they were intended for general use.
Couple of stars seen through the roof holes
More of what was under the floor
At the front end of the church is more bricked up windows and the main door. I'm guessing the graffiti is pretty old as I wasn't brave enough to stand on the wooden floor at the point!
Back towards the rear of the church I found the entrance to the underground section. I know there's a load of junk there now but I still think that its far too low to be used often, and access is quite narrow really
Finally, back up the stairs to my "escape" I was just about to leave when the clock tower on another church struck midnight. To say I was spooked a little is an understatement! On leaving, I think you need to be perhaps twice as flexible as when you arrive to the building, and as I am not that flexible I almost lost my trainer to the depths!
I'm glad I didn't though, as the walk back to the road is a very muddy one now that work has been started. There's a couple of diggers right up next to the church and evidence of some building work going on. Will be interesting to see what is made of it, though a shame to lose something so interesting, even if it is a bit of a dangerous one. I'm just glad I got to do the explore before it was too late!
Whitfield Tabernacle is a grade I listed building (due to its religious significance) and is on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk register.
It was originally built in 1741. It wasn't large enough for its purpose so it was then expanded in 1802 and again in 1830. It originally had a pantile roof with 3 hipped sections, lying front to back with the middle section taller than the others, but arson has left the structure pretty much roofless and a shell.
On the side there used to be a bronze plaque that read, "This building was erected by - George Whitfield BA and John Cennick AD 1741 - it is - Whitfield's first tabernacle, the oldest existing memorial to his great share in the 18th century revival."
Just west of Whitfield Tabernacle is a mid 19th century, large Gothic church building, designed by Henry Masters and built in 1851. In the late 20th century, dwindling congregations forced its closure and the church congregation moved back into the original building before eventually joining the Moravian Church across the other side of the High Street.
The Whitefield Building Preservation Trust was set up in 1995 to fight to save the Tabernacle. Its aim is to repair and then re-open the building for community use. Whitfield Tabernacle was designated as a conservation area on 15th January 1996.
The United Reformed Church sold the plot to a developer and plans were submitted in late 2006 to restore the Tabernacle and convert it into a restaurant. There were also plans to convert the Masters Church into 19 apartments, with a service road and car parking proposed for the disused burial ground.
In February 2011 the site was still derelict although the large disused churchyard had been cleared of vegetation. In February 2015 the site was still derelict and the graveyard was once again overgrown.
Today, Crossman Homes owns the site. The house builder has been granted planning permission and listed building consent for the conversion of Masters Church, which will be converted into 19 flats, and there will also be three new-build homes and a park built on the site. The company is also working with council planners and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to sympathetically restore and protect existing graves on the site. Work on the site started December 2019.
On arrival, I went in through a kind of hidden but moderately easily accessible area. There was a bit of climbing to do, but nothing too bad. Everything is fenced off, just not quite well enough. I found the access point to the church window I'd heard about elsewhere, with the makeshift "ladder" still in place. Having climbed up I had a look inside.
Having taken a load of photos stuck to the same (what looked like) safe spot I decided I ought to venture around and have a better look. I went down one of the stone supports seeing as pretty much everything wooden in the place is rotten and falling apart.
Down either side you can see what would have been underneath the original floor. I did look at going down there but the effort it involved for everything being blocked up seemed a little too much for me. Maybe if I had been with others it would have been different?
I gingerly made my way over towards the front of the building, all the while trying to stay away from the rotten floor and on something more solid
More evidence of underground tunnels and rooms. Not sure if these would have been burial rooms or rooms for preparing for services? I have to admit, they don't look like they would have high ceilings if they were intended for general use.
Couple of stars seen through the roof holes
More of what was under the floor
At the front end of the church is more bricked up windows and the main door. I'm guessing the graffiti is pretty old as I wasn't brave enough to stand on the wooden floor at the point!
Back towards the rear of the church I found the entrance to the underground section. I know there's a load of junk there now but I still think that its far too low to be used often, and access is quite narrow really
Finally, back up the stairs to my "escape" I was just about to leave when the clock tower on another church struck midnight. To say I was spooked a little is an understatement! On leaving, I think you need to be perhaps twice as flexible as when you arrive to the building, and as I am not that flexible I almost lost my trainer to the depths!
I'm glad I didn't though, as the walk back to the road is a very muddy one now that work has been started. There's a couple of diggers right up next to the church and evidence of some building work going on. Will be interesting to see what is made of it, though a shame to lose something so interesting, even if it is a bit of a dangerous one. I'm just glad I got to do the explore before it was too late!
