Drive Methodist Church, Reading Room, Former School-Chapel, And Wall, Gateposts And Railings

Drive Methodist Church, Reading Room, Former School-Chapel, And Wall, Gateposts And Railings is a Grade II listed Methodist complex in St Annes-on-the-Sea, part of Lytham St Annes on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England. Its long official name covers several parts of one site: the church, a reading room, the original school-chapel, and the boundary wall, gateposts and railings.

Where is it?

The complex stands on the corner of Clifton Road South and Eastbank Road, on the town's main thoroughfare, The Drive. The coordinates are 53.748336, -3.030106. Historic England notes that the church contributes to the street scene along this route, so you can see it while walking through the town centre.

What is the history of the site?

The oldest building is the school-chapel of 1877, designed by Maxwell and Tuke of Bury. It soon proved too small for the congregation. The present church was therefore built between 1890 and 1893 to designs by Herbert Isitt. In 1901 a reading room was attached to the east face of the original chapel; its architect is unknown. Taken together, the buildings were put up between 1877 and 1901, with some later alterations.

What does it look like?

The church and the reading room are built of coursed yellow sandstone under green slate roofs. The school-chapel is different: it is red brick with stone dressings. This mix of materials shows the stages of construction at a glance. Inside the reading room are stained glass, timber panelling and a hammer-beam roof.

The wall, gateposts and railings around the site are part of the listing. They frame the complex at the street edge.

Why is it listed?

Historic England listed the complex at Grade II on 8 March 2010 (list entry 1393722). The listing describes it as a good example of Nonconformist church design and as a focal point of Methodist life in St Annes. The listing also values the group as a whole, not just the main church building.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a listed building? Yes. It has been Grade II listed since 8 March 2010.

Who designed it? Maxwell and Tuke of Bury designed the school-chapel. Herbert Isitt designed the church. The reading room's architect is unknown.

When was it built? The school-chapel dates from 1877, the church from 1890-93 and the reading room from 1901.

What is it made of? Yellow sandstone and green slate for the church and reading room; red brick with stone dressings for the school-chapel.

Where can I find it? On The Drive, at the corner of Clifton Road South and Eastbank Road in St Annes-on-the-Sea.

Visiting tips

The exterior is easy to see from the pavement. Walk around the corner to compare the sandstone church with the red-brick school-chapel and to look at the railings and gateposts. Because the site sits in the centre of St Annes, it combines well with a walk along the town's main streets and towards the seafront.