List of Sites of Special Interest
St. Ouen's Methodist Church, La Route de Trodez, St. Ouen.
This report has been prepared by Jersey Heritage as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the architectural, historical and archaeological significance of buildings and sites.
The assessment and recommendation are made in accordance with Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law, 2002; Policy G11 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2002; and the principles of selection for designation as a site of special interest as set out in the interim policies for the conservation of historic buildings, 1998. The report includes the views and advice offered by the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group.
The Planning and Environment Department requested on 15 May 2008 that Jersey Heritage assess the architectural, historical and other interests of St. Ouen's Methodist Church.
Author of report: Roger Hills BA(Hons) MA DipBldgCons (RICS) IHBC Head of Historic Buildings
Date of report: 11 June 2008
File ref: OU0147
Current status
First registered in 1992; pSSI.
Relevant interests of the site (also see SSI schedule)
Historic interest
The St Ouen’s Methodist Church site is an important part of Jersey’s devotional landscape as it encompasses both the Island’s first purpose-built Methodist chapel (1809) and one of its most imposing and dramatic examples of Methodist architecture (1871), set within a landscaped area with carriage drive and cemetery. These buildings are important as they are illustrative of the one of the most significant ideological and spiritual movements in the Island, and of the prosperity and aspirations of the local Methodist community of the time.
Architectural interest
The 1809 chapel was enlarged in 1832 and is a 2-storey gable-roofed box built of rubble granite with quoins and dressed openings. There are uPVC windows and the ground floor contains modern seating and a suspended ceiling. However, the interior is of interest as retained is an end-entry plan with horseshoe gallery on cast iron columns, and a pair of early 19th century winder stairs that lead to the upper gallery which retains its early panelled box pews, moulded cornice and ceiling roses.
Built onto the west end of the chapel is a c.1830s caretaker’s house / manse. The house retains much of its early C19 layout and detail - including a full height stair hall with mahogany staircase, panelled doors, panelled window linings with internal shutters, and fireplaces with flanking integral cupboards.
The 1871 chapel was designed by Le Sueur and Brée. It was intended as a dominant feature in the landscape and is built as an Ionic temple with a distyle portico in antis, an apse with half dome to the north, pedimented gables and flanking pilasters. There are small-paned paired and round-arched windows set in segmental-arched ground floor openings and round arches at first floor. The interior retains some elements of decoration including a decorative plaster cornice and moulded apse arch, but other fittings were removed (some to storage) when the chapel was converted for use as a commercial storeroom in 1974.
Advice offered by MRLAG (and others if stated)
MRLAG discussed St. Ouen's Methodist Church at its meeting on 9 June 2008. Members unanimously agreed with the JH recommendation to list the site as an SSI.
Jersey Heritage recommendation
St. Ouen's Methodist Church should be listed as an SSI.
Justification relating to criteria
Listing St. Ouen's Methodist Church as a Site of Special Interest is in accordance with the published selection criteria, in particular:
· The site is of special historic interest as it illustrates a significant aspect of Jersey’s social, economic and cultural history;
· The buildings are of special interest for their architectural design and style;
· The early C19 buildings are of special interest for the survival of the major elements of their historic interiors.
Attachments
SSI schedule and plan
Photographs, May 2008