Congregational church (former) - Dedham, Essex - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

This church was built in 1871 as a replacement to the delapidated former building on the site of 1739. It is now the Dedham Art and Craft Centre.

"Mary Blomfield's house at Dedham was licensed as an Independent meeting house in 1733. In 1738 John and Henry Blomfield bought part of Frog meadow and conveyed it to trustees for a meeting house. A chapel was built the following year, and a pastor, Bezaleel Blomfield, appointed. The chapel, which was plastered and had a hipped roof, had a two-storeyed, three-bayed classical front with pedimented doorcases in the outer bays. Presumably most of the estimated 250 dissenters in the parish in 1810 belonged to that church, which had a congregation of c. 250 in 1829. By 1841 it had 400 members. On census Sunday 1851 the church, which had space for 400, was said to have attracted lower than usual congregations of 201 in the morning, 279 in the afternoon, and 145 in the evening. The growth of the congregation and the poor condition of the building led to the demolition of the chapel in 1871 and its replacement by a larger building. The church thrived in the later 19th century and earlier 20th, but congregations shrank in the 1960s and 1970s, and it closed c. 1984.

The large red brick chapel is in 13th-century Gothic style with lancet and rose windows. There is a small bell tower at the north end of the aisle. Quatrefoil roof lights and two new floors were installed as part of its conversion to a craft gallery in 1984."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1871 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source Street address of Church: Dedham Art & Craft Centre High Street Dedham, Essex England CO7 6AD Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Not listed If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Not listed Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: Not Listed Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/10/2018 greysman visited it