Westgate Unitarian Chapel

{{Short description|Historic chapel in Wakefield, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}

File:Westgate Unitarian Chapel.jpg

Westgate Unitarian Chapel is a historic chapel in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England.

The origins of the chapel lie in a group of supporters of Joshua Kirkby, who was ejected from Wakefield Parish Church, and a group of non-conformists in Alverthorpe. The two decided to build a joint Presbyterian chapel, just north of Westgate, halfway between their two settlements, which opened in 1697.{{cite web |last1=Goodchild |first1=John |title=350 Years Ago: The Act of Uniformity and some of its local repercussions |url=https://www.wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk/wakefield-history/essays-on-aspects-of-wakefield-history/350-years-ago-the-act-of-uniformity-and-some-of-its-local-repercussions/ |website=Wakefield Historical Society |access-date=27 November 2023}}

File:Westgate Unitarian Chapel, Wakefield (geograph 2578470).jpg

In 1752 the chapel was replaced by the current building. Later in the century, the congregation joined the Unitarian movement.{{cite web |title=Westgate Chapel (Unitarian) Wakefield |url=https://www.ukunitarians.org.uk/wakefield/history.htm |website=UK Unitarians |access-date=27 November 2023}} It is built of brick, and is two storeys high and three bays long. It is in the Doric order, with a cupola. There are several Venetian windows on the ground floor. Inside the chapel is plain,{{NHLE |desc=Westgate Unitarian Chapel |num=1260218 |access-date=27 November 2023}} with a pulpit of 1737 moved from the former chapel, and an organ constructed in 1847. Most of the woodwork dates from the late 19th century. There are catacombs under the chapel, which are occasionally opened to the public.{{cite news |last1=Mei Lan |first1=Sophie |title=Inside Wakefield’s secret underground tunnels - Westgate Unitarian Chapel's Catacombs |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/inside-wakefields-secret-underground-tunnels-westgate-unitarian-chapels-catacombs-4116487 |access-date=27 November 2023 |work=Yorkshire Post |date=24 April 2023}}{{cite news |last1=McKune |first1=Kara |title=Tunnel into the unknown: Explore the eerie 18th Century Wakefield Catacombs hidden below the city's streets - on a spooky tour with volunteers |url=https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/people/tunnel-into-the-unknown-explore-the-eerie-18th-century-wakefield-catacombs-hidden-below-the-citys-streets-on-a-spooky-tour-with-volunteers-4114318 |access-date=27 November 2023 |work=Wakefield Express |date=22 April 2023}}

The chapel was Grade II* listed in 1971.