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Luton(High Town),Methodist Church,hightownmethodist,methodist luton,methodist church high town,high town,luton methodist, hightown methodist,hightown methodists,luton high town methodists

Luton High Town Methodists Church

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Architectural detail

The oldest part of the buildings that front onto the High Town road are the twin doors and entrance with their stone steps worn away by countless feet over nearly one and half centuries. Brickwork shows traces of 'tuck pointing' which was a method of pressing strips of putty into wet mortar.

1852 saw the ordnance survey 'Bench mark' cut into the right handside of the front corner of the building, from this the surveyors could measure the level of all the land in the vicinity.

The Yellow bricks are a landmark in brick technology they have three major advantages; they are very hard, light and key together well. They are used together on the building with Luton Greys and Reds. Beard was granted a Patent for the yellow bricks and he opened another brickfield in Arlsey.

Heating the building was originally done by a coke burning stove which created alot of dust and darkened the limewashed ceiling and walls. Later a Patent Hot Air Heating System was installed and a furnace built near to the parsonage(minister's house). The bricks to the left of the window are their original plum colour.

The interior of the 1852 church has disappeared. Cast iron windows would have let lots of light into the building however the increasing numbers of congregation made extra room essential so the gallery was added to raise the number of seats from 500-800. This reduced the light coming in so a higher central window was installed and the ceiling was raised to suit. This revealed the beams of the roof with their wrought iron saddles and wedges.

The school room was built to serve both the Sunday and weekday education needs of the children who had no means of education. Infants downstairs and girls upstairs.It was vital for the entrance to remain small to keep valuable space available inside.

Adult classes existed for the spiritual and social welfare of members and lay people and this has been a hallmark of Methodism since inception. When the congregation eventually outgrew the 1852 building the trustees began to look for a new site.

 

 

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