Immanuel URC

A short walk from Swindon town centre, with its own car park to the side and a pleasant lawned garden to the rear, Immanuel is situated at the head of an avenue in Old Walcot. The red brick exterior may not be its best selling point, but once inside, visitors often remark on how light and attractive it is and even 'modern for its age'.

It is basically cruciform in design and its 'transepts' form, on one side, the choir and organ and on the other, a quiet area for private prayer. In designing the building as he did, architect H Rogers Houchin succeeded in balancing the demands of economy with artistic integrity: he turns the rough texture of natural red brick lower walls into a statement that combines well with the plastered upper walls and elevated ceiling that retain their original cream colour. The area surrounding the slightly raised chancel is lined with light oak panelling that matches the pews. Lectern, pulpit and communion table were all designed and constructed in the same wood, which provides an overall coherence.

If you look down to your feet, you see highly polished and impressive oak parquet blocks covering the whole surface. You will probably be unaware that the flooring is gently raked, which means that even when sitting in the back pews, sight lines are still largely unobstructed so that readers and preacher are visible as they stand in the chancel.

Three major changes have taken place since 1939: firstly the installation of a memorial stained glass window above the communion table in 1946 (it focuses attention on the front of the church and was chosen for its theme of 'the family church'). In 1974 a large glass screen was erected to partition the entry or 'antechurch' and create an area where children might play and not disturb a congregation. In 1939 the then minister and deacons were far sighted in asking for a range of ancillary rooms that still provide excellent facilities for church and community activities.