Swaythling Methodist Church
| 286 | |
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  286
Shown within Southampton
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| Coordinates: 50°56′17″N 1°23′06″W / 50.93817°N 1.38512°W | |
| OS grid reference | SU4330315583 |
| Location | Swaythling |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Methodist and New Church |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Swaythling Methodist Church |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Founder(s) | Herbert Collins |
| Associated people | J. Arthur Rank |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 20 November 1997 |
| Architect(s) | Herbert Collins |
| Architectural type | Central Hall |
| Style | Neo-Georgian |
| Specifications | |
| Number of floors | 2 |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Materials | Red brick, Concrete, Slate, Copper |
| Administration | |
| Circuit | Southampton Methodist Circuit |
| District | Southampton Methodist District |
| Division | Pioneer Network |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Bev Webb (City Life), Paul Woodman (City Life) |
286, formerly Swaythling Methodist Church, is a grade II listed church building in Swaythling, Southampton. The building is owned and managed by Southampton Methodist Circuit with City Life Church providing assistance with the day to day operations. Swaythling Methodist Church still meet on the premises in the Nona Bell Centre as a community of St James Road Methodist Church in Shirley having closed as an official Methodist Church in 2013.
The building includes a number of halls and smaller rooms in addition to the main auditorium, as well as a manse and some workshops. Designed by Herbert Collins in a neo-Georgian style and built in 1932, the main auditorium is octagonal with a balcony over the entrance porch; the balcony is accessible via two stair towers on the north face. Attached to the south side is a wing containing other halls and rooms. Separate buildings on the west of the site contain some workshops and the manse. The roof of the main hall is shallowly domed and clad in copper, topped by a copper-clad cupola.
The whole site was grade II listed on 20 November 1997.
Swaythling Methodist Church was established by architect Herbert Collins following his construction of many houses in the surrounding area, with the remit "I have built the houses, now build a place for the people to go". The buildings were constructed in partnership with J. Arthur Rank with full cinema facilities. The projector room is still present.
City Life Church began in the 1970s as a youth group which broke away from nearby Swaythling Baptist Church. The fellowship has adopted several names during its history, changing from City Gate to City Life in 2000, and is part of the national Pioneer Network. The church occupies the main auditorium on Sunday mornings.
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