Many aerial photos taken in the 20th century show the twin spires of Gloucester Street Congregational Church standing out prominently.
It was built between 1862 to 1864 to replace a chapel of 1804 in St Nicholas Street, at a cost of £3690. It was an extensive site with schoolrooms in a semi basement.
By 1962 the church was showing signs of cracking and subsidence, as it had been built on reclaimed land. Some work was carried out but the building was in need of new foundations at a cost of £1m.
The writer remembers attending a Weymouth Grammar School end of year service in 1965 and thinking that the walls sloped outwards toward the top!
Prominent among former ministers was Welsh born Rev Charles Gay from 1947 to 1971 who played a prominent role in the life of the town.
The church closed in 1972 and the congregation moved to Hope Church, which itself closed in February 2026.
The site is now occupied by George Thorne House.
