The Old Meeting (Unitarian), Marshfield

Unfortunately, due to serious illness, Frank Butler will not be able to come and lead our worship on 11 March. He hopes to be well enough to come in the autumn. We hope so too.  The good news is that Kay Millard has been able to step in. She will coordinate our service on the them of 'Home'.

Both the planning and listed building applications have been withdrawn. This is unlikely to be the end of the story but is good news.

There is much opposition to the planning application for the hall to become a private residence.  It is online at South Gloucestershire Council's planning pages (applications PK11/3588/F and PK11/3619/LB (Listed Building)).  Significantly English Heritage have opposed the application. Here is their summary 
"The British Legion Hall, formerly a non-conformist chapel, dates from 1752, and
comprises a modestly scaled but imposing classical building with somewhat baroque
detailing. The interior constitutes a single two-storey cellular space of approximately
root-two proportions in plan-form, with narrow first-floor galleries along either side.

This proposal would entail the residential conversion of the chapel, with a considerable
degree of internal subdivision, which would impact upon the aesthetic and historical
value and significance of the heritage asset, and therefore would engage directly with
Government guidance as laid out in P.P.S.5."
Their recommendation is
"This application would subdivide the internal space, and entail disruption to primary
historic fabric, and would therefore cause substantial harm to the aesthetic and
historical value and significance of this heritage asset. It has not been compellingly
demonstrated that other more benign viable uses have been sought in the manner
required by P.P.S.5 (particularly Policies HE9.2 and HE9.3); consequently we have
little choice but to suggest that this proposal is contrary to Government guidance as
laid out in P.P.S.5, and English Heritage objects, and advises that the application be
refused. If, notwithstanding our advice, your Authority is minded to grant consent, in
light of our objection you should treat this letter as a request to notify the Secretary of
State of this application, in accordance with Circular 08/2009."

Di Marshall has kindly offered to take on the job of taking bookings for lunch and making arrangements with the Marshfield pubs.  Where possible she will be combining this with a reminder or notification of the service theme. 

I am grateful to her for doing this, as it takes some of the responsibility off my shoulders at a rather busy time.

Tim Powell

Judy led us in an inspiring seasonal service which brought together aspects from Judaism, Hinduism, Druidism and mysticism, as well as the traditional Christian themes.  The children brought in green leaves to decorate the flame and an act of communion brought the service to a fitting conclusion.  Many thanks.

The Marshfield Parish Council meet this evening to consider their position vis a vis the planning application to change the hall into a private residence.  An objection has been submitted on behalf of the Unitarians meeting at Marshfield, which I reproduce here

Planning Application PK11/3588/F (to convert the Royal British Legion Hall, formerly Unitarian Chapel to a private residence).

On behalf of the congregation of Unitarians who meet for worship in the hall, I wish to object to this application.

There are architectural and logistical objections to the proposed development which others are better able to make.  I draw attention to the historic importance of the chapel and the significance of its still being available for community use.

The hall is a significant part of Marshfield’s history.  As the town prospered in the eighteenth century, the Presbyterian dissent which had found a following among the artisans and traders of the town, evolved into Unitarianism.  The chapel marks the moment in time when the dissenting community became wealthy enough to be able to build a proud and substantial chapel.  Built in the classical style, it is a tangible manifestation of Enlightenment values in Marshfield.  The chapel is where Rev William Hazlitt, father of the famous writer, served a company of ‘heretical maltsters’.

All this would be of academic interest were it not for the fact that this lovely building is still in community use, and is once again a place for Unitarian worship.  While the pulpit and pews have long gone, the classical grace of the exterior and the essential structure of the interior, with its magnificent windows and balconies, are much as Rev. Hazlitt would have known them.  While the inscription stones too have vanished (though their words were recorded for posterity), the graveyard at the rear remains a tangible memorial to the purpose for which the building was erected: in the words of the foundation stone, ‘for promoting pure religion, the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind’.  It is a source of great joy to the present-day community of Unitarians that we are able to meet for worship in this building.

The importance of this former chapel to the history of the area is shown by the fact that it features (indeed is pictured) on South Gloucestershire’s Nonconformist Heritage Trail. (Tour 1 The Old Dissent). The trail notes that while the chapel ceased to be used for worship in the nineteenth century (that situation has now changed), it was preserved for community use.

There are good intentions behind the planned development, but once converted into a residence, it will be another amenity, another piece of public space, lost.

Yours faithfully

Dr Tim Powell

8 January Kay Millard
12 February
11 March Frank Butler (Western Unitarian Union President)
8 April - this is Easter Sunday
13 May
10 June possibly Lis Dyson-Jones (national Unitarian General Assembly President)
8 July
12 August
9 September
14 October
November - to be arranged
9 December

If anyone would like to offer to coordinate one or more of these services or suggest themes, that would be splendid.

As I've discovered, one of the lovely effects of the Marshfield meeting house is that a congregation of a few participants is enough for a really worthwhile service.  I took a great deal from Sunday's service led by Di.  It was telling I think that the general emphasis was on the 'spirituality' aspect rather than the 'everyday', the assumption being that the spiritual is, by its very nature, concerned with the everyday.

As some of those reading this will be aware, a planning application has been submitted to South Gloucestershire Council (application PK11/3588/F) to change this building into a private residence.  This entails significant alterations to the interior, of course, but most importantly, its disappearance as a facility available for public use.  The general consensus among those attending Unitarian worship in this building is to oppose the planning application.