Cheltenham Synagogue
The synagogue building was completed in 1839, designed by William Hill Knight in the Regency style. Assessed in 1951 as one of the architecturally "best" non-Anglican ecclesiastical buildings in Britain, the synagogue was listed as a Grade II* building in 1972 as "an outstanding example of a small provincial English synagogue".
History
The congregation first met in around 1820 in a hired space at the St George's Place entrance to Manchester Walk. The cornerstone for the synagogue was laid on 25 July 1837. It was founded when Cheltenham was a popular spa town. However, the synagogue declined with the town and closed in 1903. It reopened in 1939 to serve as an evacuation centre for those who were being rehoused from London, refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe, and soldiers stationed in nearby bases, including a number of Americans.
Architecture
The elegant Regency building was designed by architect William Hill Knight (1837–9), who also designed the Cheltenham Public Library, now 'The Wilson' (formerly Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum), and Montpellier Walk.
The synagogue's chaste Regency facade features Doric pilasters and a pediment. The interior features a coffered saucer dome – a typically Regency feature. At the centre of the dome is a lantern made by Nicholas Adam which provides natural light. The Georgian Torah ark and bimah are reused elements of the London New Synagogue in Leadenhall Street from 1761. That congregation was in the process of constructing a new building, which was dedicated in 1838. The cost of wagon freight from London was £86.
A number of unusual elements of the original furnishings survive. Among these are the original rattan upholstery of the pews and bimah seats and the prayer boards. One board has the Yom Kippur prayers and the other has the prayer for the welfare of Queen Victoria. Victoria's name is superimposed over the names of previous British monarchs, the earliest of which is George II.
See also
- History of the Jews in England
- List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom
- List of synagogues in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ Shulman, David (10 September 2023). "Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation". Jewish Communities and Records – UK. JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ Historic England (4 May 1972). "Synagogue, St James's Square (Grade II*) (1387877)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus (1951). The Buildings of England. Penguin Books. p. 37.
- ^ Goding, John (1863). Norman's history of Cheltenham. Longman. p. 472.
- ^ Landseer, Alfred (1828). A panoramic sketch of Cheltenham and its environs. Longman. p. 40.
- ^ Hart, Gwen (1981). A history of Cheltenham. A. Sutton. p. 218.
- ^ "Cheltenham Synagogue History". Archived from the original on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
- ^ Kadish, Sharman (2006). Jewish Heritage in England: An Architectural Guide. English Heritage. pp. 100–101.
- ^ Renton, Peter (2000). The lost synagogues of London. Tymsder Publishing. pp. 45–46. ISBN 0-9531104-2-7.
