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Skinner Street United Reformed Church is the oldest church in Poole, Dorset, England. The current building is the only eighteenth century church building in Poole, and is a Grade II* listed building. The church has a grave for Cyril Coles, one of the gunners in the first tank attack in 1916.[1][2] The church is used as an adult learning centre.[3]
The original chapel was built in 1662, making it Poole's oldest surviving church. In 1663, John Wesley's eponymously named grandfather became first minister of the chapel.[4] The church moved to a new building in 1760, and the present Georgian building was built in 1777 for £1,440. It is the only eighteenth century church building in Poole[4][5] The current vestry was added in 1814, and the chapel was extended in 1823, with the introduction of new galleries, at a cost of around £2,000. The roof was altered in 1886.[5][6] In the nineteenth century, the church had a congregation of over 1,000 people, and the congregation was later split into other United Reformed Churches, including one in Newfoundland.[7] The building and its north-eastern wall and railings became a Grade II* listed building in 1954.[6] In 2014, the church received a grant of £5,000 from the Dorset Historic Churches Trust for roof repairs.[8] In 2015, the church offered free dental care and flu jabs to homeless people.[9]
In 2021, a blue plaque to naturist Philip Henry Gosse was dedicated at the church.[10]
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