Front 'shop' window of Newark Meeting House

The Front 'shop' window of Newark Meeting House in Nottinghamshire, England, represents the adaptability of design in a Quaker meeting house — and a welcome that faces directly onto the street.

From shop to meeting house

This is the first time in their history that Quakers in Newark have had their own purpose-built building. Before Newark Meeting House opened, many local Friends attended Brant Broughton Meeting House in neighbouring Lincolnshire.

It was Friends from Brant Broughton Meeting who mainly facilitated the creation of Newark Meeting House. In 2010, Brant Broughton Friends began an outreach project to promote Quakerism in Newark. From fortnightly meetings in a local Methodist church, attendance steadily grew.

When Quaker Andrew James, an architect from Brant Broughton Meeting, saw that the shop was for sale, local Friends seized the opportunity and purchased it. James, who drew up plans for the conversion, said of Newark Meeting House:

“Sandwiched between three pubs in the corner of the Market Place it gives us a street presence and it certainly puts us directly in touch with the market place of life.”

Newark Meeting House's shop window, lined with Quaker posters, gives curious passers-by an excellent opportunity to 'look-in' on Quakerism. Because of both its prominent position in the town centre and shop window, Newark Quakers decided that the Meeting House would be a 'Quaker Centre' that promoted outreach in the local area.

Newark Meeting House was opened in 2018 by the Quaker speaker and writer Geoffrey Durham.

Design of Quaker meeting houses

The earliest purpose-built Quaker meeting houses were distinctive for their simple, functional design. Built by local craftsmen, they sit modestly in the town and landscape and each has its own character — such as Lincoln's Meeting House.

In some cases, an existing building was adapted. For example, originally a barn and cottage, Swarthmoor Meeting House in Cumbria was bought by George Fox and given to the local meeting in 1688 with instructions on how to adapt it as a meeting house.

Meeting houses have simple internal spaces, reflecting the way in which Quakers worship. Architect and Quaker Hubert Lidbetter observed in his 1961 survey of Quaker places of worship:

“With no necessity to provide for music or any set form of service, a meeting house is more a domestic than an ecclesiastical building.”

Because there is no priest or altar, there are no liturgical requirements (such as holy communion) to influence the design of a meeting house. Decoration in the form of stained glass or ornaments is rare. Walls are most often left bare, with perhaps the occasional painting in light colours.

It is common practice for a meeting house to have a simple table (often wooden) with a vase of flowers, a jug of water with some glasses, a copy of Faith & Practice, and a Bible.

Plainness is preferred, and the front door of a Quaker meeting house welcomes all to enter.

Newark Quakers' YouTube Video

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