Discussion 

The North Skelton Pentecostal Church forms the sole Tees Archaeology SMR entry for corrugated iron sheet public buildings. This record contains no measured or detailed photographic information of the building's construction. 

To date there have been no systematic or thematic studies of corrugated iron public buildings in the Teesside area (Daniels pers.com., 2003); this is in direct contrast to County Durham, where Emery's survey recorded 65 such buildings, of which 55 were churches, chapels and associated halls. 

While there is little or no mention of this building in the limited number of local histories consulted to date and recorded examples of this type are seemingly rare, the survival of the North Skelton Pentecostal Church does in fact indicate a good potential for the physical survival of other, similar buildings within the region. 

The available map and documentary information suggests a potential link between this building and the development and growth of the North Skelton Ironstone Mine. This link, together with the very specific design type and construction materials used, indicates significant parallels with the results of the County Durham survey and adds further archaeological and historical importance to this type of building. 

Methodology 

It was apparent from documentary information and an initial inspection that the original building represented an uncomplicated single phase construction, the form of which has remained fairly well intact. The addition of a later rear extension, clearly out of keeping with the original building, was readily discernible through the construction methods and materials used. 

In construction terms, this "tin tabernacle" is a very simple structure, essentially comprising mass-produced and 'standardised' corrugated iron sheets fastened with galvanised nails to a wooden framework sitting on a low brick foundation wall. 

For recording purposes therefore, the use of context sheets was not considered appropriate; instead written descriptions of each external elevation and internal area, supported by suitable scale drawings and a detailed photographic record (Appendix (b)), were employed in order to fulfil the research aims. 

As the same general pattern of construction is consistently followed i.e. similar sized corrugated iron sheets fastened with galvanised iron nails to a wooden frame atop brick foundation walls, it was not considered necessary to repeat certain of the constructional details on each elevation. Accordingly, detailed recording of the fastening pattern is only shown on the south and west elevations. 

NEXT or BACK to IRON HOME PAGE