Parkstone URC, Poole
Parkstone URC, Poole
Parkstone United Reformed Church, also known as the Parkstone Christian Centre, is a late-nineteenth-century former Congregational church on Commercial Road, Lower Parkstone, Poole.
- Location
- Poole, Dorset
- Country
- England
- County
- Dorset
- City / town
- Poole
- Address
- Commercial Road, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0JW
- Postcode
- BH14 0JW
- Built
- Late 19th century (Congregational; first shown on early 20th-century OS maps)
- Denomination
- United Reformed Church
- Style
- Victorian Gothic with hexagonal tower
- Materials
- Ornate brick
- Grid reference
- SZ 031 915
- Opening hours
- Open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
- Access
- Accessible toilets in church. Ramp or level access available on request
Overview
Dorset Heritage Explorer records a Congregational chapel on the south side of Commercial Road, first shown on the OS 2nd-edition 25-inch map and later labelled a Congregational church. An ornate brick building with a hexagonal tower stands on the site and is now named the Parkstone Christian Centre. The church’s own site describes a noticeable building of the late 1800s with stained glass and a pipe organ, used as a meeting place for local faith and community groups. It lies in the Ashley Cross Conservation Area.
Wikipedia’s claim of an 1830s date is not supported by the historic mapping, which first records a chapel here in the early twentieth century. No Historic England listing has been found for this building. Architect and exact construction date remain unverified.