Birmingham, Corporation Street, Wesleyan Methodist Central Hall, Warwickshire

Corporation Street Wesleyan Methodist Central Hall was probably built early in the twentieth century. It is a vast building occupying the space between Corporation Street (the main front) and Dalton Street (the much plainer back). The two street were linked obliquely at their northern end by Ryder Street. The main entrance, surmounted by a tower, was in Corporation Street and seems to have divided the building into two sections. The style of the building is elaborate but not distinctly ecclesiastical except for rows of perpendicular gothic on the top floor of the southern section. The tower is quite plain for the greater part of its height while the upper section is elaborately detailed. The ground floor fronting on Corporation Street and Ryder Street was occupied by retail outlets while the church occupied the upper floors. In 1940 the chapel seated 2000 on chairs and there were three schoolrooms and twenty other rooms. More recently the church seem to have restricted its occupancy to the southern section accessed through a Dalton Street entrance. The northern section has been used for entertainments. Apart from a minority of the retail units the premises now appear to be unoccupied.

Sources

Methodist Accommodation returns, 1940

Site visit 18.07.2018