A BEAUTIFUL sight once used to dominate Weymouth's skyline.

The tall twin spires of Gloucester Street Congregational Chapel were once a prominent landmark.

But today, where this magnificent church stood, there is a non-descript block of flats.

Stuart Morris, of Portland, writes about this building in The Dorset Year Book 2016.

He writes: "The chapel was certainly unconventional and being nonconformist its design was not constrained by Anglican orthodoxy.

"An 1896 guide descried it as 'a really beautiful edifice', with which no-one standing back and admiring the elaborate facade could disagree."

It would have been a challenge for builder Stephen Brown to construct this large and elaborate structure on this incredibly tight plot.

Mr Morris writes that he first became interested in the building because of its Weymouth architect Robert Bennett.

He also designed Stanhope House in Fortuneswell, Portland, the island's original Masonic Hall at Victoria Square and the chancel of Warmwell's Holy Trinity Church and several other notable public buildings.

At the chapel's opening in June 1864 a report said: The only thing which can at all be regretted is that a better site could not have been selected.

"The beauty of the architecture of the chapel is almost entirely hid by the close neighbourhood in which it rears its proud spires."

The chapel was built of stone quarried at Ridgeway on the north side of Weymouth, with Bath stone dressings and was described as the Norman style of architecture.

The chapel, which could accommodate 700 people, had a schoolroom within and the galleries were accessed through doorways in the turrets as well as from Turton Street and Park Street.

Sadly the chapel closed in 1971 and was demolished nine years later to be replaced by George Thorne house, a block of flats named after the Revd George Thorne, Rector of Melcombe Regis who in 1662 was expelled for refusing to use the Common Book of Prayer.

He then led a small nonconformist group which eventually became the Congregational (later United Reformed) church, which takes us back to the beginning, Mr Morris writes.

*The Dorset Yearbook 2016 is available for £7.50 from Dorchester TIC, Books Afloat in Weymouth and Cards and Celebrations at Easton , Portland.

Or buy it by post from Alderman Andy Hutchings, 23 Hereford Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0QB at a cost of £10 including UK postage