St Mark
Shelton, Staffordshire
Built in 1868, St Mark’s church, the ‘Potters Cathedral’, is a significant local landmark and the home of unique artworks created by artisan potters and craftsmen.
The building largely dates from an 1819 renovation of an original chapel of 1798, which accommodated 600 worshippers. Enlarged twice to meet the growing demand for seats, it eventually held 2000 people, many of them in a vast tiered oval gallery, making it one of the largest chapels outside London.
he stuccoed frontage on Albion Street, Italianate in style and with a grand classical portico, was added in 1859.
The chapel was closed to the public after many years of deterioration in the 20th century but was recently restored, thanks to the Historic Chapels Trust. The restored building has found a variety of uses from concerts to film shows and from weddings to conferences.