Mid 19th century former Congregational chapel, The Church, Batts Road (EHER 49241)

The former Congregational chapel on Batts Road was built in 1857 and extended with a school room in around 1870. It is a modest but attractive building, which has since been converted to a house. Its construction is not associated with any known architect.

The former Congregational chapel on Batts Road was built in 1857 and extended with a school room in around 1870. It is a modest but attractive building, which retains simple mid and late 19th century detailing to its exterior. Its construction is not associated with any known architect. The building is shown on the 1874 Ordnance Survey map as an ‘Independent Chapel’, in its current form, as a T-plan building with a graveyard to the North of the chapel at the corner of Batts Road, The Street and Bradwell Road. There are two other late 19th century churches in the small village of Steeple: the parish Church of St Lawrence and All Saints (EHER X) and the Peculiar People’s Chapel on Maldon Road (EHER X), both listed at Grade II. Planning permission was granted in 2010 for conversion of the interior to a residential dwelling, and nearly all historic interior fixtures were removed at that time. In addition, the roof of the former school room to the rear was heightened to facilitate a first floor internally, and skylights added to its roof. Historic photos show that the chapel had a slate roof covering in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which was replaced with a pantile roof, presumably in the late 20th century. The 2010 works included the replacement of the late 20th century pantile roof covering with natural slate. The walls are constructed of red brick with grey brick dressings. A red brick boundary wall runs South of the former schoolroom along the West boundary of the site. Although the building is no longer in use as a chapel, it possesses local historic interest as an architectural remnant of nonconformist worship, enhanced by the survival of its surrounding graveyard. The former Congregational chapel is a modest building which survives well on its exterior, however the extensive alterations to its interior result in the building lacking special architectural and historic interest, and it therefore does not meet the strict criteria for listing in a national context. <1>