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Westgate Unitarian Chapel

Buildings and structures completed in 1752Buildings and structures in WakefieldGrade II* listed buildings in West YorkshireUnitarian chapels in EnglandUse British English from November 2023
Westgate Unitarian Chapel geograph.org.uk 975094
Westgate Unitarian Chapel geograph.org.uk 975094

Westgate Unitarian Chapel is a historic chapel in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. The origins of the chapel lie in a group of supporters of Joshua Kirkby, who was ejected from Wakefield Parish Church, and a group of non-conformists in Alverthorpe. The two decided to build a joint Presbyterian chapel, just north of Westgate, halfway between their two settlements, which opened in 1697. In 1752 the chapel was replaced by the current building. Later in the century, the congregation joined the Unitarian movement. It is built of brick, and is two storeys high and three bays long. It is in the Doric order, with a cupola. There are several Venetian windows on the ground floor. Inside the chapel is plain, with a pulpit of 1737 moved from the former chapel, and an organ constructed in 1847. Most of the woodwork dates from the late 19th century. There are catacombs under the chapel, which are occasionally opened to the public.The chapel was Grade II* listed in 1971.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Westgate Unitarian Chapel (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Westgate Unitarian Chapel
Mulberry Way footway, Wakefield Belle Isle

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N 53.6823 ° E -1.50436 °
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Westgate Chapel (Unitarian)

Mulberry Way footway
WF1 2TG Wakefield, Belle Isle
England, United Kingdom
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Westgate Unitarian Chapel geograph.org.uk 975094
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Milnes' Orangery
Milnes' Orangery

Milnes' Orangery is a historic building in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, in England. In about 1752, the cloth manufacturer Pemberton Milnes built a house on Westgate, later known as Pemberton House. In 1795, his daughter, Mary Milnes, the Dowager Viscountess of Galway, inherited the house. She had an interest in horticulture, and constructed an orangery in the garden. Milnes died in 1835, and the orangery was then leased out. In 1839, it became a small zoo with a dancing bear, then in 1842 it became a public bath.In 1849, Daniel Gaskell inherited the house and orangery. The following year, he donated the garden to the trustees of the neighbouring Westgate Unitarian Chapel. The orangery briefly operated as a non-denominational school, but this was not successful, and it was then leased to a succession of private schools, while the gardens served as a graveyard. A lodge was constructed at the entrance to the garden.The last school closed in 1957, and the building served as a hall for the chapel until 1996, when it was purchased by the Public Arts charity, which ran events at the venue. It later passed to Wakefield Council, and the charity moved out in 2015.The single-storey building is in the style of Robert Adam. Its central section is five bays wide, and there are five bay wings either side. It is built of stone, partially covered in stucco. Part of the central section has large sash windows, added in the mid 19th century. The building has been Grade II* listed since 1971.

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