This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print.
Around 1832 the Baptist denomination in Leamington had increased greatly and the Baptists now wished to have a building worthy of their dignity. They had originally worshipped with the other non conformists in Union Chapel Clemens Street. But in 1827 they moved to a room in Grove Street and then to larger premises vacated by the Wesleyans in Brunswick Street moving finally in 1830 to a chapel which had been built by Mr John Toone in Guy Street which they rented.
It was on October 14th 1832 that the Ordinance of Baptism was observed and it was not long afterwards that the elders of the church felt that a more fitting place of worship was desirable. They commissioned William Thomas ( architect of Lansdowne Crescent) to create the designs for the new church. The new church was built on land owned by Squire Hooton on the corner of Satchwell Street and Warwick Street.
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- Warwick Street initial design
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- Warwick Street before Royal Priors
The new chapel described originally as ‘ a small brick building …. in a style of Gothic architecture dominated Early English” and seating 700 worshippers. In 1852 there was an adjoining burial ground on the corner of Satchwell Street. The building was extended over many years and was refaced in a plainer style in 1969. It remained in use by the Baptists until it was demolished and replaced by a book shop as part of a shopping precinct development in 1996. The Baptists then moved their services into a modern purpose built chapel and family centre in nearby Chandos Street.
In 1859, a Rev Salter and fifty baptists from the Warwick Street Chapel left to found their own congregation. Initially they held their services in Beck’s Rooms but soon began building the free baptist Chapel in Clarendon Street which opened in June 1863. This building designed by a local builder, Mr Bradshaw, was in the Early English style and cost £2,098 2s 11p and seated 400. The dissident group also built a small school attached to the chapel. The problem at the Warwick Street site was the lack of space for a school which probably led to the breakaway happening. However the Warwick Street Baptist Chapel did eventually set up their own school in the Public Hall in Windsor Street.
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- Baptist Chapel, Clarendon Street
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- Baptist Chapel/Gor-Ray Skirt factory, Clarendon St
The Clarendon Street Chapel remained as a place of worship until 1921 when the congregation rejoined the Warwick Street Chapel. By 1948 the Clarendon Street building had become the Gor-Ray Co factory making pleated ladies skirts. After 1972 the building became a warehouse eventually becoming semi derelict before being demolished in 2016. The site is now occupied by recently built town houses.
The Clarendon Chapel Mission Room in Earl Street was an offshoot of the Clarendon Street Chapel and still exists as a rather strange looking house, now housing students.
Michael Pearson, 2018
Acknowledgements to Michael Cullen