The Demise of Park Road Baptist Chapel
Until 5 April 1913 Services were being advertised as being carried out at the Baptist Chapel by Rev Dedamess at 11 and 6.30.
In May 1913 the building that had been used as a Baptist Chapel and School in Monkton Street was advertised for sale by direction of the Board of Charity Commissioners for England and Wales. The Charity proposed to effect a sale of the property for a sum of £100, the purchasers paying all the expenses of the Trustees in the matter. Any higher offer, objection, or suggestion to be transmitted to the Commissioners. The schedule read as follows:-
Former Baptist Chapel
A piece of land containing 18 perches, or thereabouts, having a frontage of 61 feet 10 inches or thereabouts to the East side of Monkton Street, in the Borough of Ryde, and of 130 feet, or thereabouts, to the North side of Park Road, with the chapel building, with schoolroom under the chapel, upon part thereof, and held on lease for the term of 979 years from the 6th July 1870, at the annual rent of £16.
In July 1913 the plans were disapproved by the Public Works Committee, who put forward this report:-
“Plan No. 1052 of the building lately used as the Park Road Baptist Chapel has been submitted, and that it is proposed to use this building for a warehouse and store; as it is not a new building and there are no structural alterations, the Council cannot be asked to approve of the change in use of the building which does not comply with the bye-laws for building of the warehouse class, which are quite distinct from those for places of Public Worship.
The Committee has suggested that the interior staircase should be incombustible material, and that a fire exit should be furnished at the east end of the ground floor as they do not consider the walls of the ground floor are suitable, being iron-lined with wood, and they recommend that the use of the building as proposed be disapproved.
The plan also shows the front of the motor shed as brought forward to the street which is contrary to the provisions of the Public Health (Building in Streets) Act 1888, and they recommended that this part of the plan being a new building be disapproved unless the written consent of the owner on the east side is first obtained.”
From the directories, the following company was using the building at 32a Monkton Street:-
1920, 1927, 1931, 1935, 1951 Brighton, Rogers & Co. Ltd. Wholesale Manufacturing Confectioners.
Unfortunately, Mr Howard Groves Rogers, of the above company, was involved in a fatal accident while riding a motorcycle on 12 April 1915. More about Mr Rogers here.
The property was later taken over by Dibbens & Sons, removals, as a store, until it was destroyed by fire in February 1986.
Source: IW Observer, RSHG Archive
Images: RSHG Archive Roy Brinton Collection
Article: Ann Barrett