St Pauls Methodist New Connexion Chapel was situated on the east side of London road south of its junction with Station Street. It was a “noble building” with a handsome front in the Italianate style of architecture. It was built of brick with stone dressings in 1861 and cost £3950. It was approached by a flight of ten steps on the highest of which were four Corinthian columns 25 feet high and supporting a bold entablature crowned by a pediment with a highly decorated tympanum. The frieze beneath the pediment bore the words “Methodist New Connexion Chapel”. Inside the building there was semi-basement containing a large schoolroom and three classrooms. The chapel was above the semi basement. Its interior was simple and chaste having sittings of varnished deal to accommodate 900 persons. It was 71 feet long by 47 feet wide and 31 feet high. There were two aisles. The central section had five blocks of two box pews towards the back with seven rows of ordinary pews in front. At each side there were six rows of ordinary pews facing forwards towards the back of the building with two blocks of 3 box pews towards the front. The communion area was in the centre at the front and facing it on each side were a further four rows of ordinary pews. Behind the chapel was a minister’s vestry, a lavatory and WC, a staircase, and another vestry.
Around 1890 the premises were bought by the Midland Railway with a view to its demolition to make way for their new station building. The purchase price was £8,800.
Sources
Whites Directory for Leicestershire, 1868, p 177
OS 25 inch Leicestershire, XXXI.15, 1888 and 1915
Leicestershire etc. Record Office DE87/1 Engraving of the chapel on a letterhead
Leicester Daily Post, 11 September 1991
Site visit 12.04.2018
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