Capernwray Chapel
Encyclopedia
Capernwray Chapel is in the village of Capernwray, Over Kellet
, Lancashire
, England. Formerly the chapel to Capernwray Hall
, it is now an independent Evangelical
chapel. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
was Lord Lieutenant
of Lancashire and in addition to Capernwray Hall, owned Borwick Hall
, Borwick railway station, and a number of farms. It was designed by the Lancaster
architect Edmund Sharpe
and at that stage consisted of a simple rectangle. In 1856 E. G. Paley
, Sharpe's successor, added the tower, chancel
and west window. During the Second World War, the boarders from Ripley St Thomas School, Lancaster, were evacuated
to Capernwray Hall and used the chapel for worship. After the war, in 1946, Major W. Ian Thomas
and his wife bought the hall and the chapel for the use of Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
. By 1962 it had become too small for the numbers using it and it was converted into a dormitory
by adding a false ceiling and dormer
windows to make an upper floor. Having been disused for a time, the Evangelical Fellowship
were given the use of the chapel by Mrs Thomas.
rubble
with slate
roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay
nave
, a two-bay chancel at a lower level and a southwest tower over the porch. The windows on the north and south walls are all lancets
, at the east end is a three-light lancet window and at the west end is a five-light window. There is a doorway in the north chancel wall. The tower has five stages with clasping buttress
es. In the lowest stage is a west doorway above which is a lancet window. The bell openings consist of louvred
three-light lancets. At the top of the tower is a pyramidal roof with a weather vane
. Gargoyle
s protrude from the gutters and on the gables are cross finial
s.
Over Kellet
Over Kellet is a village and civil parish near Carnforth in the English county of Lancashire. The parish, which is in the City of Lancaster, includes the village of Capernwray, at its northern end, and has a population of 778...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. Formerly the chapel to Capernwray Hall
Capernwray Hall
Capernwray Hall is a former country house situated 3 miles ENE of Carnforth, Lancashire, England, and is currently used as a Christian bible school and holiday centre. The house has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building...
, it is now an independent Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
chapel. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building.
History
The chapel was built by Mr and Mrs George Marton between 1835 and 1840 as a private chapel for Capernwray Hall. George MartonGeorge Marton (1801–1867)
George Marton was an English Conservative Party politician from Lancashire.At the 1837 general election, Marton was elected as Member of Parliament for Lancaster. He held the seat until he stood down from the House of Commons at the 1847 general election.In the 1820s, Marton's family built the...
was Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Lancashire and in addition to Capernwray Hall, owned Borwick Hall
Borwick Hall
Borwick Hall is a 16th century manor house at Borwick, Lancashire. It is a Grade I listed building and is now used as a residential outdoor education and conference centre by Lancashire County Council.-History:...
, Borwick railway station, and a number of farms. It was designed by the Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architect Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe was an English architect and engineer. He started his career as an architect, initially on his own, then in partnership with Edward Paley, designing mainly churches but also some secular buildings...
and at that stage consisted of a simple rectangle. In 1856 E. G. Paley
Edward Graham Paley
Edward Graham Paley, usually known as E. G. Paley, , was an English architect who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, in the second half of the 19th century.-Education and career:...
, Sharpe's successor, added the tower, chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and west window. During the Second World War, the boarders from Ripley St Thomas School, Lancaster, were evacuated
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
to Capernwray Hall and used the chapel for worship. After the war, in 1946, Major W. Ian Thomas
Major W. Ian Thomas
W. Ian Thomas was a Christian evangelical writer, theological teacher and founder of the Torchbearers bible schools.- Early life :...
and his wife bought the hall and the chapel for the use of Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers , more recently known as Torchbearers International is an evangelical Christian educational organization...
. By 1962 it had become too small for the numbers using it and it was converted into a dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
by adding a false ceiling and dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
windows to make an upper floor. Having been disused for a time, the Evangelical Fellowship
Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches
The Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches is an association of around 125 independent local churches in the UK, each practising congregationalist church governance...
were given the use of the chapel by Mrs Thomas.
Architecture
Capernwray Chapel is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, a two-bay chancel at a lower level and a southwest tower over the porch. The windows on the north and south walls are all lancets
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, at the east end is a three-light lancet window and at the west end is a five-light window. There is a doorway in the north chancel wall. The tower has five stages with clasping buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. In the lowest stage is a west doorway above which is a lancet window. The bell openings consist of louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
three-light lancets. At the top of the tower is a pyramidal roof with a weather vane
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
. Gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s protrude from the gutters and on the gables are cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s.
See also
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
- List of ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley