Torbay Methodist Churches,
Devon, UK
Paignton - Torquay - Brixham
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CENTRAL CHURCHIt was in 1971 that the leaders of the three churches began seriously to discuss the possibility of uniting. It was proposed to sell the two Methodist churches and demolish Belgrave and erect a new building on this valuable site, suitable for present day needs. Draft proposals and constitution were brought to the church members and agreed in their own churches first and then a united meeting was held and the final decision almost unanimously passed. During the winter of 1973 united evening services were held to enable the congregations to become better acquainted with each other's form of worship. Edward Narracott, Tanner and André were appointed architects in December 1971 and when their plans had been accepted by all concerned the sale of Union Street Church could proceed. The auction took place in January 1973 and the building was sold to "Mothercare". Tenders were invited for the construction of the new building. That of Currall, Lewis and Martin Ltd. of Birmingham was accepted. Money for furnishings is being provided by church organisations and individuals in a variety of ways. The ecumenical spirit was further strengthened when Tor Parochial Church Council offered the use of St. Saviour's Church until the new premises were ready, an offer which was gratefully accepted, and the friendship was deepened further when the Bishop of Exeter laid the foundation stone in June 1975.
THE BUILDINGThe Church is designed on an elongated octagonal plan and will seat 350 with a sliding partition connecting to the Hall which seats a further 350. This section is surrounded by all other rooms to obviate traffic noise. These rooms consist of vestry, treasury, choir room and four meeting rooms, with a youth centre with disco at basement level. A three-bedroomed caretaker's flat forms the roof of the covered car park. The Hall is high enough to be used for championship badminton. Each section is independent so any one part can be closed off to allow different activities to carry on without inconvenience to each other. External walls rise off a podium of limestone recovered from the walls of Belgrave; all external facings are in white precast fluted stone. A special feature is the "screen to the clouds", consisting of white tracery surrounding multi-coloured glass for interior lighting and above the building itself open tracery rising to thirty metres and terminating in twin crosses surmounted by a single cross to symbolise the uniting of the two churches in Christ. The lancet-shaped windows in bronzed aluminium frames are directed away from high noise levels. All external maintenance is cut to an absolute minimum. FURNISHINGS AND FITMENTSThe Church and Hall are decorated to conform so they can be seen as a whole when used together; the walls are dove grey, ceilings cherry red in white surrounds, that of the church has additional beech ribs. The floor is deep brown wood block; the dais of the church is carpeted in olive green. The stage is surrounded by oatmeal curtaining. All fittings throughout have been designed by the architects using mostly mahogany and stainless steel. SPECIAL FEATURESThe glazing of the Church is in thick multi-coloured glass depicting the Seven Ages of Man, and designed by Peter Tysoe. In the entrance hall are three lancet stained glass windows from Belgrave set in a frame made of oak from Union Street. The seating consists of linked chairs upholstered in tangerine coloured fabric and designed by Robin Day. The organ is a four manual electrostatic with movable console built by Compton-Makin. The choir is robed in red purple gowns made by The House of Van Heems Ltd., London. The Cross above the Communion Table is the gift of the architect.
THE CHAPEL OF UNITYA unique feature of the building is the inclusion of the small Prayer Chapel at the right-hand side of the vestibule. It is the sign to all who enter, for any purpose, that this is first and foremost a house of prayer. The Chapel will be available for private and communal prayer at all times by those who desire to deepen their own spiritual life and that of the whole fellowship of this congregation. But, above all, it is a Chapel of Unity, dedicated to the bringing together of the whole people of God; and all Christian communions are invited to use it as the common ground where they can meet together before God. To this end other Churches have been invited to include gifts for the Chapel which express some aspect of their tradition, and to place in it a book of prayer used among their own people. These gifts are:
The coloured glass screen and other furnishings have been donated anonymously by those who wished to commemorate the set-vice given to the Church by family members for more than a century.
************************************ These pages tells, quite briefly, the story of four Churches. Three of them, with a tradition in each case extending back for over a century, have been demolished, and the Methodist and United Reformed Congregations have joined to build the new Church ... Central. In this way they have sought to express gratitude for the past by seeking to put the future in debt to themselves. During the demolition of one of the Churches a bottle was found under the front wall of the building which had survived a disastrous fire in 1926. Amongst other contents was found a poem composed for the stonelaying in November 1877. What it expresses would also seem to be the aim for our new Church a century later. "These Foundation Stones to God's glory we lay, And trust that this Building for ages shall stay; May the Truth there be preached, and sinners be blest, When we who now rear it are gone to our rest." © Central Church, Torquay Click here to read about the first Torquay Methodist Church
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