George Street Chapel – Oldham

George Street Chapel with pulpit and organ. George Street Chapel gallery with organ removed for restoration. George Street Chapel George Street Chapel entrance Basement during restoration works. Basement during restoration works. Basement during restoration works.
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Client:

Age UK Oldham

Architect:

Lloyd Evans Prichard

Contract Period:

30 weeks

Contract Sum:

£ 647000

George Street Chapel, Oldham was built in 1815 as an Independent Methodist Chapel. The building is constructed from brick with a Welsh slate roof and is listed by English Heritage Grade II*. With a ground floor basement, the first floor chapel is entered from the street by a flight of steps and a doorway with a classically inspired surround of carved stone pediment and architrave. The chapel itself has galleries on three sides supported on decorative cast iron columns and a complete set of original panelled box pews.
Lambert Walker were appointed by architects Lloyd Evans Prichard to repair and adapt the building for Age UK as a heritage resource and learning centre as well as a function and event suite. The project received substantial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Challenge Fund.

The conservation work completely replaced the slate roof and repaired the supporting timbers of the roof structure. The brick chimney stacks were taken down and rebuilt and the stone gutters were repaired and lead works renewed. Masonry works repaired a retaining stone wall and repairs were undertaken to the iron railings on the main George Street façade.

Internally, a major refurbishment took place; the flagstone floor in the basement was lifted and relaid to allow for tanking and the installation of under floor heating. Walls and ceilings were replastered and repainted and the timber box pews of the chapel were repaired. New catering and toilet facilities were also installed. The original chapel organ, installed in the 1830s, was removed so that it could be fully restored and refurbished. Click here for more information and progress reports on the project.