Central Baptist Church, Leicester Explained

The Central Baptist Church, also known as the Charles Street Baptist Chapel, is a Baptist church on Charles Street in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK.^[1] It is affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

Leicester in the 19th century was known as the ‘Metropolis of Dissent’ with a large number of non-conformist chapels and churches.^[2] There have been numerous places of worship of various denominations, including the Baptists.^{[3] [4] [5]} Numerous chapels were built since the 17th century, many in the 19th century.^{[6] [7]}

The Charles Street Baptist Chapel was designed by William Flynt, a leading local architect,^[8] and constructed in 1830.^{[2] [6]} The congregation of the Belvoir Street Chapel united with that of Charles Street in the 1940s^[9] and became known as the United Baptist Church.^[2] It was designated a Grade II listed building (1074071) in 1973.^[10] It was named the Central Baptist Church in 1983 and is the last surviving of several Baptist churches in Leicester City Centre.^[2]

The building also houses the William Carey Museum, dedicated to William Carey, who was instrumental in the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society.^{[11] [12]}

See also

• List of Baptist churches in England

Notes and References

1. Web site: Charles Street Baptist Chapel . City of Leicester . 2 March 2020.
2. Web site: Ruddy . Austin J. . Renovating a great survivor of the 'metropolis of dissent' Historic 1821 chapel on Leicester's Charles Street has been renovated to a high standard . . 6 February 2018 . February 28, 2020.
3. Book: Where Leicester Has Worshipped . 2008 . Moore, Andre . 978-0-9533628-2-0 .
4. Web site: Faith & Belief - Story of Leicester. www.storyofleicester.info.
5. Web site: Mapped - University of Leicester Archheology and Ancient History Mapping Faith and Place. swww2.le.ac.uk. March 1, 2020.
6. Web site: Elliott . Malcolm . Belief and Disbelief in Victorian Leicester . January 13, 2020 . Clearly the Baptists in Leicester were unusually strong...Charles Street was built in 1830 and the Pork Pie chapel in Belvoir Street in 1845..
7. Web site: The ancient borough: Protestant Nonconformity: A History of the County of Leicester: Volume 4 . Victoria County History . 390–394. 1958 . January 11, 2020 . 1601.
8. Web site: Building once described as 'refined' has finest neo-Greek facade in Leicester. Jane. Goddard. August 28, 2018. leicestermercury . 9 March 2020.
9. Web site: Belvoir Street Chapel - Story of Leicester. www.storyofleicester.info . 9 March 2020.
10. Web site: Central Baptist Church, City of Leicester - 1074071 | Historic England. historicengland.org.uk.
11. Web site: Central Baptist Church and William Carey Museum. Visit Leicester. March 1, 2020.
12. Web site: William Carey Museum . Central Baptist . 13 March 2020.