The Building
Matlock Methodist and United Reformed Church is a stone built church, on a sloping site situated on the corner of Bank Road and Oak Road a short distance from the town centre. Constructed and opened in 1882 and with the addition of a tower and fine masonry spire in 1900, the Church was extensively refurbished, modernised and extended in 1997.
The building has two levels each with step free access available. The upper level is accessed from Oak Road by a canopied porch and provides the large, airy and light worship room which seats up to 250 people and has comfortable, modern individual chairs which can be set out in any format. The room has a slightly elevated platform at one end featuring a carved wooden, octagonal pulpit and a varnished wooden paneling across the width of the room. The large windows have the original coloured glass sandwiched between two new panes of glass which was carried out in the refurbishment.
On the same level as the worship room is a crush hall and entrance porch, as well as a creche room, an office, a kitchenette and modern toilets. There is also a hydraulic ram passenger lift installed providing access between the upper and lower levels and a broad stair case is wrapped around the modern metal and glass lift shaft. Accessed by a modern metal, spiral staircase, there is a mezzanine level with a balcony above and around the crush hall. The mezzanine is open plan with six, wall separated areas and the lift motor room.
The lower level is accessed from Bank Road, through the small, asphalted car park which has space for around six cars. The lower level of the building consists of a porch and entrance hall, three Community Halls, a large fully appointed, catering kitchen, storage rooms and modern toilets including baby changing facilities. The largest hall contains six supporting columns for the upper level and provides a space for up to 200 people. .
Building history
Matlock Methodist and United Reformed Church is a stone built church, on a sloping site on Bank Road. It dates from 1882. The church was built without a steeple and the tower and porch were added eighteen years later. in 1900.
Shortly after the church opened the annual meeting of stewards and officers of the Wesleyan Circuit was held in the chapel. Their first business was to receive the newly appointed superintendent, the Rev. Higham. On 13th August 1884, the Chapel was registered for solemnizing marriages, replacing the Wesleyan Chapel, Matlock Bridge as that chapel was no longer used for worship.
The original architect was C O Ellison of Liverpool, and Horace G Bradley designed the later additions. The building, which has schoolrooms underneath, has been extended in recent years. Originally known as the Matlock Wesleyan Chapel, it then became the Trinity Methodist Church. Since 1990, when it combined with the United Reformed (formerly Congregational) Church on Chesterfield Road, it has been called the Matlock Methodist and United Reformed Church since 1990.
Further information about the Church is available on the Andrews Pages website
Memorials & Plaques
Throughout the building there are many memorials and plaques and these have been catalogued by third parties and are presented online on the Andrews Pages website.
In remembrance of the fallen from the two World Wars, the war memorials at MMURC are recorded online on the Derbyshire War Memorials website.