Guess the Place

[MartinR]

It is interesting John.  You've got the right structure, but your second question is a leading one!

[Stewie]

I walk past it every Monday so won't compete this one. 

[John Walker]

That's an interesting one. 

The only structure I can recall like that is next to the Chatham Historical Dockyard but I have no idea what it is.
Is it in the process of being built or being demolished?

[MartinR]

OK, a quick one here.  It's more of a race than a real GTP, but I'm still reconfiguring.

[MartinR]

Sorry for the delay.  I'm just in the process of moving from one desktop/server machine to another.  Currently I'm using the browser on the new machine and all my pictures are on the old/failing machine.  I'll endeavour to get something up this evening.

[John Walker]

Well done MartinR - that was quick.  Far more info that I was able to find too.

Over to you when you're ready.

[MartinR]

Short answer: originally the schoolroom of the Congregational Chapel in Union Road, Deal, and now part of the buildings of the Landmark Centre.

The first Congregational Chapel (known as the "Meeting House") was built in 1681.  This building was pulled down and replaced by a new, larger, 500-seater chapel in 1803 which in turn was pulled down and replaced by the current building in 1882.¹

The Sunday School was first built in 1810, then rebuilt in 1875.  It was extended to its current form in 1909 as can just be made out on the foundation stone between the central window (GSV).

The 1892-1914 OS 25" map (this sheet revised 1897, published 1898) shows the Chapel and the rear door (to the vestry) which is the door on the left of the GTP photo.  The small window to the right of the door shows similar characteristics to the main chapel, and quite different to the new schoolroom.  Examination of the brickwork on this lower roofed section also indicates that this was the original vestry.  The map shows three small premises where the schoolroom now stands.

The Congregational Chapel closed in 1974 and the building became redundant.  It is now the Landmark Centre run by the Deal & Walmer Community Association.  A new floor has been put in at gallery level to convert the main body of the chapel into two halls.³  It provides "a community cafe, a community pub/bar, three Halls for hire (two with bars), a lounge with pool and darts (also with a bar), meeting rooms and training rooms".²  The CA website continues: "The Centre, home to organisations such as Deal Radio and the Rotary Pirates, has rooms hired by a wide range of interest groups, societies, health and well-being focussed groups and is available for private hire. Weddings, parties, festivals, conferences, exhibitions, markets and other types of events are all welcome.".²  One user of the centre is Christ Church Deal.  This is an independent church founded in 1998.⁴  After temporary locations elsewhere, the group now meets at the Centre.³ 

I'm afraid I won't be able to put up the next GTP until tomorrow evening.

¹https://familiesofdealandwalmer.co.uk/the-congregational-church/
²https://www.dwchamber.co.uk/the-landmark-centre/
³https://christchurchdeal.org.uk/about-us/landmark-centre/
⁴https://christchurchdeal.org.uk/about-us/our-history/

[John Walker]

Free church (aka Methodist, URC, Baptist etc)?

 Part of a former Congregational Church but now an independent church run by the local community.  Being run by the community, the building, which is quite large has other functions.

[MartinR]

Free church (aka Methodist, URC, Baptist etc)?

[John Walker]

Religious?

Yes, but appears to be multi-purpose now.  Part of a much bigger building.

[MartinR]

Religious?

[John Walker]

Next GTP

Where and what is this building?

[John Walker]

Thanks for all that info that you've researched MartinR.  Once again, I've learned from GTP.

My next GTP will be up this evening.

[MartinR]

I've just found out a little more:

"After serving Sheerness for 175 years it looked as if our United Reformed Church, with a dwindling congregation and crumbling foundations, would have to close. Yet a decade or more on and £1.5 million in fundraising later our beautiful little church has been restored to its former glory and in addition a purpose built community hub has been established."¹

I haven't got a precise date on that, but if it is based on the old schoolroom date of 1832, then 175 years takes us to 2007.

"While the building work was being carried out worshippers turned to the town’s Methodist church for a place to pray. The friendship grew so strong that the two groups have returned to the new church together. An ecumenical partnership formed and the two denominations continue to walk in faith and worship together."¹

So the Chapel is nor a "Local Ecumenical Project" (LEP) and is both Sheerness' Methodist and URC churches.

¹https://thechurchinhopestreet.wordpress.com/blog-2/

[MartinR]

An interesting site.  There are two Sunday Schools and a chapel there, all labelled "Bethel".  To "begin at the beginning"; Bethel was a place, later city mentioned several times in the Bible.  The name itself means "House of God".  For more details see Wikipedia.¹  As well as a few smaller sects incorporating the name Bethel, it was used simply as a name for various chapels, principally "dissenters" aka Free Church.  Just as you might have "St John's" CofE you could have "Bethel" Congregational.  Indeed this seems to be the case in Sheerness.  It appears from scanty information that William Shrubsole² was a preacher at Bethel Chapel, Sheerness.³  Historic England has a photo dating from 2003 which shows the Hope Street church as United Reformed Church.⁴  the URC was formed from the 1972 union of the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches.

GSV today shows "The Church in Hope Street" as the name above the door.  The foundation stones date this building to 1882, so it is not the one that Shrubsole knew.  Next door is a Sunday School (see below) of 1832 and from the way the chapel overlaps the school and from the generally higher quality brickwork, this would indicate that the chapel is a rebuild.  The Sunday School in Hope Street is a listed building.⁵  Both the quick reference map and the full scale map do show Spring Garden Passage and Hare Street.  From GSV the stone above the doorway reads "Bethel Chapel Sunday School 1832".  Going around the back (courtesy of GSV) shows obviously modern extensions to the Sunday School and Chapel with the labels "The Church in Hope Street", "The Hope Street Centre" and "The Lighthouse Coffee Shop".

Turning 90° to the left right, brings up the building that Local Hiker found.  I can't find a date on this, but from the style and brickwork it is nearer in date to the Chapel than to the other Sunday School.  The map that historic England uses for the search facility shows the building as a "Factory".  If anyone is near there and can look at the foundation stones and inscription above the doorway, I'd be interested.

My understanding of this site:

1784: the first Chapel was built.
1787: the existing Chapel was extended.
1832: the Hope St Sunday School was built.  This might have replaced an earlier Sunday School.
1882: the existing chapel was demolished and the new chapel built.
c.1882: the new Schoolroom was built.
20C: the new Schoolroom was sold off or rented out for use as a factory.
late 20C/21C: the new Schoolroom is converted into flats and sold.
late 20C/21C: the old Schoolroom and Chapel have new extensions built at the rear, and the orientation changed to make this the front.


¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel
²https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shrubsole_(minister)
³https://wellcomecollection.org/works/vvkg2fqc
⁴https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/education/educational-images/bethel-chapel-sunday-school-hope-street-sheerness-5039
⁵https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1273419?section=official-list-entry