Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

287 London Road mid C19th building, former methodist chapel located on the south western side of the road. It is currently un- occupied and (2019) in a good condition (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• METHODIST CHAPEL (early C19th, Post Medieval to Modern - 1837 AD? to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Formally a Methodist Chapel, this is a large and imposing detached building located on the south western side of London Road/Erith Place, on the southern side of the junction between Erith Place and Shooters Hill. Erith Place is a quiet road which runs parallel and is raised from London Road on its south western side. The building is in brick and flint though the front which is elaborately decorated and symmetrical is Stuccoed and painted. There is a large central doorway with a projecting porch accessed via a set of seven half rounded stacked steps. There is an ionic column and a pilaster on either side of the door supporting an entablature with a large triangular pediment above. There are two very large windows on either side of this porch, there have moulded architrave surrounds and projecting sills. The entablature continues onto the main face of the building above the windows and is supported by two further pilasters located over each of the party walls. A cornice and parapet is located at the top of the building on either side of the pediment. All this stucco is painted in bright colours and appears to be in a good condition. The side and rear elevations are not as elaborate and are in a mix of brick and flint. The north western (side) elevation is visible from Shooters Hill, there are four large windows divided by brick pilasters. The lower halves of all of these windows have been blocked by timber boards. There are flat gauged brick arches above all of the windows and small protruding stone sills, the areas below the windows are in flint. The south western (rear) elevation has a half height extension in brick with a door and a single window both of which are blocked. A number of modern features are attached to this rear part of the building including an air conditioning system. There is a contemporary flint and brick wall on all sides of this building, and the area between this wall and the walls of the chapel are badly overgrown and untidy. Overall this building appears to be structurally sound though if left un-occupied could be overrun by the vegetation growth which surrounds it.

The door is located centrally within the north eastern façade and consists of an original very large double door with six moulded panels in a treated timber. There are two large windows on this façade, these are original timber frames and fixed. The glass is divided into 65 small rectangular panes by original timber glazing bars. There are four windows located on the side elevation, the lower pars of each of these are blocked with timber but are also original timber framed windows which are divided into multiple small rectangular panes by timber glazing bars. There is a further small door and window located in the small rear extension. Both of these are blocked though the lower part of the window is visible and appears to consist of a timber framed sash, divided into multiple panes. All of the timber frames and glazing bars are painted white/cream the paintwork on these is chipped and cracked but otherwise all windows and doors appear to be in a good condition with all panes present and intact.

The roof is hipped and in slate with metallic flashing over the ridges. The roof of the rear extension is shed also in slate though the far south western part has a modern sheet metal roof. The roof appears to be in a good condition with no obvious bowing. (1)

<1> Kent County Council, 2019, Historic building condition asseesment and photographic survey of Dover Town Centre (Unpublished document). SKE52120.

Sources and further reading

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