Record Details
| NHER Number: | 7356 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | Oulton Chapel; Old Meeting House Independent Congregational Church |
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Summary
This old red brick building dates to 1728 and is a perfect example of a virtually unchanged meeting house of the period. Inside there are 19th century box pews and a central pulpit. The original collecting pans survive and there is also reference to a burial beneath the communion seat This building was in very poor condition until it was restored by the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. Documents claim that C. H. Spurgeon preached to five thousand people on the lawn between the chapel and the manse, but as this is a very small space these claims of popularity may be exaggerated.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 1408 2921 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG12NW |
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| Parish: | OULTON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
17 August 1977. Site visit by E. Rose (NAU).
Old Meeting (Independent Congregational Church). Built of red brick with a double-shaped gable at each end. Dated 1728 in clamp irons. The building has a facade of four bays, two storeys doorways in end bays lead into interior porches with separate doors into rear pews. Two large wooden columns support the roof. Galleries on posts.
Central pulpit with stairs on east wall. Seating takes the from of Box pews. 19th century memorials on walls (one referring to a burial 'in the communion seat'!) and in red-brick floor. The original collecting pans survive as does a notice that marriages may be solemnised. 19th century gravestones outside against facade, and in yard to north. Vestry at rear dated 1839 and 1891. This is a perfect example of a virtually unchanged meeting house of that date, but is in deplorable condition; it is filthy, much affected by damp, and the galleries are disused.
E. Rose (NAU).
C. H. Spurgeon preached to five thousand people on the lawn between the chapel and the manse: this must have been a well-packed meeting for the space is not very large.
NARG survey (S1) in files.
E. Rose (NAU).
'Mr Bole, a Dissenter, has a pretty Box here. The family of them were tanners till this time. They have lately built a new Meeting House upon account of Armingland Hall going to be disposed of where the prebyterians usually met' (S2).
E. Rose (NAU).
Chapel fully restored by 1994 - by Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust Chapel listed grade II*, manse grade II (S3). Manse is dated to late 18th century and reference is made to fine staircase, original doors throughout and fine principal chimneypiece.
E. Rose (NLA) 9 August 1994.
Survey by C. Jeffries (1989) in file, including photos (S4).
Architects drawings (S5), pre 1992, as large rolled plans.
E. Rose (NAU/NLA).
A remote chapel one mile west of Irmingland Hall. The meeting of the Independents in Oulton was reported in 1669. During 1672 many meeting house licences were issued in this area. In 1774, the Oulton congregation separated and formed a new church and the present meeting house was opened in 1731. Services continued to be held in the meeting house until the 1970s. It was sold to the Norfolk Historic Building Trust in 1989.
Information from (S6) which also includes further details.
M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 29 October 2012.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- NONCONFORMIST CHAPEL (18th Century to 21st Century - 1728 AD to 2100 AD)
Associated Finds
- GRAVESTONE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status
- Listed Building
- Listed Building
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 12 NW 35. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 631; Pl 77, Pl 78. |
| --- | Publication: Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. Oulton Chapel. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. Fighting change add decay all around. 13 April. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. Chapel glory restored. 27 April. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992. [Photogrpah of Oulton Chapel]. 29 June. |
| --- | Publication: Manning, M., Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. 2000. Oulton Chapel. |
| --- | Unpublished Document: Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. Oulton Chapel. |
| --- | Photograph: 1996. Photographs of Oulton Chapel; Old Meeting House Independent Congregational Church, Oulton. Colour. |
| --- | Photograph: Oulton Chapel. Print. |
| --- | Photograph: 1987. Oulton Chapel. Print. |
| --- | Photograph: 1992. Oulton Chapel. Print. |
| --- | Photograph: 1990. Oulton Chapel. Print. |
| --- | Photograph: 1989. Oulton Chapel. Print. |
| --- | Photograph: 1990/2002. Photographs of The Manse/Oulton Chapel; Old Meeting House Independent Congregational Church, Oulton. Colour. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Listing Notification. Notification. DNF1361. |
| <S1> | Unpublished Document: Patridge, E. G.. 1977. Old Meeting House, Oulton.. |
| <S2> | Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. c. 1740. |
| <S3> | Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. List Entries 1068844 and 1172066. |
| <S4> | Photograph: 684 14-21. |
| <S5> | *Rolled Plan: Large Plan Exists. |
| <S6> | Monograph: Stell, C.. 2002. Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting-houses in Eastern England. p 262. |
Related records - none
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