With the rapid growth of Barry, due to the docks, in the late 19th century, a number of new causes were established. The Bible Christian cause for Court Road Methodist Church was established in 1889 by a seven members who moved from the Diamond Street Bible Christian Chapel, Cardiff, to Barry for work. In 1891 a chapel was opened on Crossways Street, an article on the opening in the Barry Dock News included a description of the building:
"The Bible Christian Chapel, which is in course of erection, occupies a very convenient site near the central police station, immediately abutting the new highway between Holton and Cadoxton. The building is of the early English style of architecture, and when completed will present a very attractive appearance. The interior of the chapel will be 44 feet in length, by 32 feet in breadth, and will provide sitting accommodation for nearly 300 worshippers. In addition to the chapel itself there will be on the ground floor a ladies' room and vestry, on either side of the pulpit and a novelty in connection with the building will be a class-room, which will be used for Sunday school purposes, being 36 feet in length by 32 feet in width. The architects of the work (which will cost upwards of £ 1,200) are Messrs Seward and Thomas, of Cardiff and Cadoxton and the contractor, Mr E. R. Evans, builder, Cardiff, who is pushing forward the work with as much speed as possible, so that the building may be opened for Divine worship before the close of the year. We are glad to understand that notwithstanding the complete and substantial character of the building at present in course of erection, the promoters of the cause are confident that in a comparatively short time another and still larger chapel will be required. For this purpose, a piece of land, adjoining the present building, has been reserved. The present building will then be used as a Sunday school and classrooms."
The membership of both chapel and sunday school did increase so rapidly that additional accommodation was soon needed and a new building extended onto the reserved land on the corner of Court Road and Crossway Street. The foundation stone for the new chapel, was laid in July 1904, and the new chapel opened in 1905: "The opening ceremony was performed by Mrs J. E. Levers, wife of Councillor Levers, one of the Circuit stewards, and after opening the door with a key presented to her by the Rev J. Sutton, pastor of the church, Mrs Levers briefly declared the building opening for the worship of Almighty God".
This chapel was built in the Italinate style; the entrance on to Crossway Street had a large Perpendicular window above, and there was a square tower with pyramidal roof on the corner.
With the unification of Methodist Societies to form The Methodist Church in 1932, Court Road became Court Road Methodist Chapel. After increased collaboration through the 1950s, in 1961 Court Road Chapel and Holton Chapel (NPRN 14090) formally decided to amalgamate. When, in 1962, a 'wind up' meeting was held, the membership of Court Road was given as 78.
A decision was made to refurbish Court Road Chapel, disposing of the more commercially valuable Holton Road site when work was complete. When a survey was carried out however, Court Road Chapel was deemed to be in too poor condition to make refurbishment viable, with substantial subsidance detected and the tower unstable, and the decision was made to build a chapel that could be a new home for both congregations. This was funded by the proceeds of the sale of Holton Road (£13,000 for the chapel, £275 for the organ), with some also supporting the building of St David's (NPRN 9215). During the building of Crossway Chapel, the congregation met in the 'Moose Hall' on Court Road/Wyndham Street.
Guidance was sought from the Methodist Property Department, especially reagrding the appointment of an architect. The practice of K Luther Davies and Wilfred E Hole of Cradiff was selected, as Hole both knew the site and had carried out a substantial amount of previous work for the Methodist Church. A Holton Road church member was also a senior assistant at the practice, and carried out much of the survey and working drawings. The charted Surveyors were Patterson Seaton & Co, Cathedral Road Cardiff. Planning permission was granted on 30th October 1963; eight tenders for construction were received ranging from £31,000 to £37,000. The Barry firm of H S Rendell was appointed at a quote of £31,268.14s.7d.
The new building was specified to have an auditorium (38' 5'' x 52' 10'' /11.7m x 16.1m) seating 230/300 (varying sources), school hall (45' 7'' x 29' 3'' / 13.9m x 8.91m), lobby (35' 9'' x 8' 2'' / 10.9m x 2.48m), classroom (12' 0'' x 25' 11'' / 3.65m x 7.9m), kitchen (9' 0'' x 10' 6'' / 2.74m x 3.2m), toilets, vestry (13' 5'' x 15' 2'' / 4.09m x 4.62m), minister's room/office (10' 1'' x 9' 11'' / 3.08m x 3.01m) and basement boiler. In the Bill of Quantities, church furniture of lecturn, pulpit, pews, choir stalls and communion rail was costed at £2,000. An organ was bought from Walker and Sons Ltd of Ruislip, the 'Positif Model C organ' supplied and installed at a cost of £2,213.
A stone laying ceremony took place on 27th June 1964: stone laying and dedication was carried out by Rev. William Fulton (Minister). The official opening took place on 9th October 1965, the key being handed over by Wilfred Hole to Mr Selley, the chapel steward, and Mr Winfield, Trust Secretary, who opened the door for the first time. The opening service was provided by Rev. Dr. Maldwyn L Edwards, Chairman of the Cardiff and Swansea District. This was followed by a tea and evening rally with speakers and performances, an event which made £10 towards funds.
A number of gifts were made to the chapel including a cross made by the the Headmaster, woodwork master, and boys of the Barry Grammar School from wood saved from the Court Road and Holton Road Chapels, symbolising unity; a communion table in memory of Mr JRK Vickery; lecturn, communion rail, and vases in memory of the Misses Masterman; Kneelers from Mr & Mrs Albert Jenkins (the first couple to be married in the chapel); pulpit falls from the Young Wives Group; Pulpit Bible (NEB) in memory of Mr P Says; Pulpit Bible (RSV) in memory of Mrs Moore; Vestry Communion table (originally in Court Road Chapel) and cross in memory of Mr & Mrs Cruise.
The external cavity walls are of orange 'Williamson Cliff Stamfordstone' brick facing externally and plastered internally, with precast concrete lintols. The chapel and school hall are of pitched roof construction with T.D.A trusses and 'Broderick' insulated copper covering. The other areas were of flat-roof construction with 'Ruberoid' copper roof covering. The church was specified to be 59" x 40" x 25" to ridge/20" to eaves. Timber window frames to ground floor of main chapel, aluminium to large, 'clerestory' windows. Windows to rear range replaced in UPVC.
Entrance in the northern elevation leads to a link foyer between hall and main chapel. Umberella stand and communion table retained from previous chapel, and the cross made of wood from the Holton Road and Court Road chapels. A large assembly hall/schoolhall to left (east) partitioned by three double doors (glazed) and three glazed panels, alternating. The hall has a low stage at the southern end.
To the right (south) the main chapel auditorium is a double height space with extended aisles to the ground level lit by small fixed windows, above full-height windows with aluminum frames and glass with etched patterning including crosses (later addition). Carpeted flooring, possibly covering the terazzo paving specified in the Bill of Quantities, and ceiling with central inset panel of painted ceiling tiles. Oak pews set in two banks with central and outside aisles; lecturn, pulpit, and communion table (all oak) set on a two-level, low dias at the far end of the auditorium.
The flat roof areas of the building gave constant problems: the Ruberoid roofing of the south-facing section was replaced in 1987, in October 2008 this was replaced with a glass-fibre material at a cost of £7,500, with further leaks in 2010 due to the stealing of lead flashing. In 2011 copper boards were stolen from the main, pitched roof.
Crossway Chapel closed in 2022, the final service taking place on Sunday 20 March. It was susbsequently marketed at £175,000 and in February 2023 plans were submitted to turn the building into 15 flats, with redevelopment starting spring 2024.
RCAHMW, January 2025
Refs:
Crossway Methodist Church: Fiftieth Anniversary Brochure 1962-2012
Barry Dock News 20th March 1891
Barry Dock News 18th September 1891
Barry Dock News 22nd July 1904
Souvenir Programme from the opening of the new church 1965
Barry District News 1st July 1965
Barry District News 5th August 1965
Barry District News 7th October 1965
Barry District News 14th October 1965