1901 – Friary Congregrational Church and Schools, West Bridgford, Nottingham

Friar Lane Chapel was founded in 1827 in the centre of Nottingham. The chapel building was begun in 1828 in the ‘Dissenting Gothic’ style, and was opened in 1829. In 1897 the congregation left Friar Lane for West Bridgford, but retained the name ‘Friary’. In September 1898 the memorial stone of new schoolrooms on Musters Road, on the corner with Millicent Road, West Bridgford, was laid. The schoolrooms were opened in March 1899 and used for worship, and the following year the new church buildings were begun. The new church was officially opened in September 1901. It closed in June 2022. Grade II listed building.

“In the early part of 1897 (owing to the decreased residential population of the city and the rapidly increasing population of the prosperous suburb of West Bridgford) the committee of the Friary Church, Nottingham, received the sanction of the Charity Commissioners to dispose of the property and appropriate the position of a church and school at Bridgford. In 1898 the school was commenced, and the church was commenced in 1900, and will be completed during this year. The church has been planned with a nave and side aisles; the latter will be used as passages so that every seat will command an uninterrupted view of the pulpit. At the comer of Musters-road .and Millicent-road is a tower 60ft. high, having two entrances ; at the opposite comer is a porch entrance which is connected -with the tower by a narthex. There are five entrances to the church. On the north side of the choir is the organ-chamber, and on the south the vestry. A large meeting-room is provided behind the choir, which will also be used as a choir vestry. The floor is of wood. The entrances and lobbies are tiled. The roof is on the open hammer – beam principle, covered with green slates. The church will accommodate 4.50 persons. The external facings are of Coxbench stone with Ancaster and Derby stone trim to the building. The roof is of open timber- work with wrought-iron ties and principals. The windows in both the church and schools are glazed with tinted sheet glass. A portion of each window is made to open. The contractors for the church are Messrs. Garton and Burton, and for the schools Mr. W. Maule. The architect for both the church and schools is Mr. Ernest E. Sutton of Nottingham.”