Restoration Work

The exterior

'Danger - Keep Out.'
The derelict west end in 1988.

Despite being a grade II listed building, Square Chapel was seriously threatened for several years until 1988 when it was bought by the Square Chapel Trust...

The exterior was in good shape on three sides which have been conserved intact. On the other hand, the west elevation had been tampered with from an early stage in its history with various lean-to buildings added. This facade was extremely damaged and dangerous and immediate action was needed in order to prevent the collapse of the entire building.

The graveyard and front steps

The 1772 print reveals a carefully designed graveyard, on two levels, surrounded by walls, with an imposing gate and steps ascending to the front door. Before restoration in 1993, the level of the graveyard was several feet higher than that indicated on the print and was covered with ledger stones. It has been reduced in size to the east for road-widening purposes and the gravestones may well have been rearranged at these times. During restoration, it was immensely exciting to discover that the steps still existed intact. The gravestones have now been relaid with the staircase rising to the door, thus restoring the "Grand Ascent" described by Titus Knight in his poem.

The windows

The windows had been changed in the 1855 conversion but the 1772 print showed Georgian sashes with Gothic arched glazing bars. During work to the west elevation, investigations to a blocked up window revealed an original sash window intact, and the Trust was able to restore the Georgian windows using this as a model, adjusting the glazing bars slightly to allow for double glazing.

The galleries

Square Chapel was built as a single space with galleries on three sides and the pulpit jutting out from the centre of the west end, but we have very little evidence of what the gallery looked like apart from traces of fixings for panelling and column bases.

This space was horizontally severed by our Victorian forebears when the church was converted to a Sunday School. Although it is disappointing to have lost the original spectacular interior it would have been very difficult to convert into a performance area and would have greatly reduced the choices for future use.

The plasterwork

The original interior was extremely elegant with decorative plasterwork on walls and ceiling. Each window was separated by a pilaster, projecting slightly from the wall, the capitals decorated with acanthus leaves. The Venetian windows which form the centrepiece of each elevation were adorned with Ionic columns and the ceiling boasted plasterwork with a circular design of keywork and oak garlands surrounding a central cavetto. The whole interior was gloriously light with sunshine streaming in on all four sides.

Lindsay String Quartet
play during restoration, 1989

Although the Square Room was in reasonable condition as recently as 1970 with most of its plasterwork intact, the subsequent neglect of the building led to a huge outbreak of dry rot. Its eradication involved the removal of much plaster including the entire ceiling.

Using the space

The exposure of the roof trusses created a new dilemma, for it was obvious that the roof void would be very useful for theatrical productions. Moreover, the room was being much admired in its semi-derelict state with faded rough brick walls and exposed roof trusses. An appropriate treatment of this space is now thought to be to retain the room as it exists, with reminder of its former decorative elegance and proportional systems, and to insert the necessary technology for a performing arts space, in an honest and modern way.