Rehoboth Chapel, Pell Green
Encyclopedia
Rehoboth Chapel is a former Strict Baptist
place of worship in the hamlet
of Pell Green in East Sussex
, England. Pell Green is in the parish of Wadhurst
in Wealden
, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex
, and stands on the road between the market town
of Wadhurst
and the village of Lamberhurst
in the county of Kent
. Built in 1824 to replace an earlier meeting place for local Baptists, it continued in religious use until the late 20th century. The weatherboarded building—now a house—is of a similar design to another Baptist chapel at nearby Shover's Green
. English Heritage
has listed the building at Grade II by English Heritage
for its architectural and historical importance.
s, a Strict Baptist
community developed in the early 19th century. Their first meetings in Pell Green were held in 1818. Six years later, Thomas Kemp founded and built a new chapel immediately to the west of an existing cottage to serve the community. It was successful enough to require regular extensions in its early years; work was carried out in 1828, 1831 and 1841. The original three-bay
east–west layout gained a fourth bay to the west, and a lean-to
was subsequently attached to this.
Over the years, many memorials in various forms were installed in the chapel, and formed its most important feature. The earliest, dated 1836, commemorated a local woman and was added to as more family members died. In 1844, a memorial to a member of the Kemp family was placed on the south wall; again, more names were added later. Most memorials were in the form of painted wooden boards, although there were also some stone slabs and headstones. Immersion baptism
took place in a stream nearby.
Attendances declined in the 20th century, and in 1986 conversion to a house was suggested. This happened soon afterwards, and the building is still in residential use. Some changes have been made, such as the removal of original shutters on the south-facing windows.
The Rehoboth Chapel was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
on 12 April 1978; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 2,020 Grade II listed buildings, and 2,173 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Wealden.
single-storey building with timber-framed
walls and a slate
-tiled roof with eaves
. The construction date of 1824 is visible on a stone on the exterior. The three original bays have, from east to west, a large round-arched window, a doorway with a straight hood mould
, and another window in the same style. The westernmost bay has an identical window and a small door, again flat-hooded. The windows are sashes
and originally had wooden shutters.
The building was mostly of timber construction inside. A three-sided gallery was held up by wooden columns with decorative mouldings
at the top and bottom, and three king post
s supported the roof (two in the original part of the chapel and one in the western extension). The extension is given further structural stability by five iron columns on the north side. Seven burial vault
s with brick walls survive underneath the chapel.
Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
place of worship in the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Pell Green in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England. Pell Green is in the parish of Wadhurst
Wadhurst
Wadhurst is a market town in East Sussex, England. It is the centre of the civil parish of Wadhurst, which also includes the hamlets of Cousley Wood and Tidebrook. Wadhurst is twinned with Aubers in France.-Situation:...
in Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, and stands on the road between the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Wadhurst
Wadhurst
Wadhurst is a market town in East Sussex, England. It is the centre of the civil parish of Wadhurst, which also includes the hamlets of Cousley Wood and Tidebrook. Wadhurst is twinned with Aubers in France.-Situation:...
and the village of Lamberhurst
Lamberhurst
Lamberhurst is a village and civil parish in Kent although the latter parish was at first in both Kent and East Sussex. The line of the county border was adjusted following the Local Government Act 1894, which required that parish boundaries be aligned with counties...
in the county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Built in 1824 to replace an earlier meeting place for local Baptists, it continued in religious use until the late 20th century. The weatherboarded building—now a house—is of a similar design to another Baptist chapel at nearby Shover's Green
Shover's Green Baptist Chapel
Shover's Green Baptist Chapel is a former Strict Baptist place of worship in the hamlet of Shover's Green in East Sussex, England. Shover's Green is in Wealden, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex, and stands on the road between the market town of Wadhurst...
. 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...
has listed the building at Grade II 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...
for its architectural and historical importance.
History
Pell Green, one of several tiny settlements in Wadhurst's parish, is about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) northeast of the town. In common with many places in Sussex, a county known for its broad range of Christian denominationChristian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s, a Strict Baptist
Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
community developed in the early 19th century. Their first meetings in Pell Green were held in 1818. Six years later, Thomas Kemp founded and built a new chapel immediately to the west of an existing cottage to serve the community. It was successful enough to require regular extensions in its early years; work was carried out in 1828, 1831 and 1841. The original three-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:...
east–west layout gained a fourth bay to the west, and a lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
was subsequently attached to this.
Over the years, many memorials in various forms were installed in the chapel, and formed its most important feature. The earliest, dated 1836, commemorated a local woman and was added to as more family members died. In 1844, a memorial to a member of the Kemp family was placed on the south wall; again, more names were added later. Most memorials were in the form of painted wooden boards, although there were also some stone slabs and headstones. Immersion baptism
Immersion baptism
Immersion baptism is a method of baptism that is distinguished from baptism by affusion and by aspersion , sometimes without specifying whether the immersion is total or partial, but very commonly with the indication that the person baptized is immersed completely...
took place in a stream nearby.
Attendances declined in the 20th century, and in 1986 conversion to a house was suggested. This happened soon afterwards, and the building is still in residential use. Some changes have been made, such as the removal of original shutters on the south-facing windows.
The Rehoboth Chapel was listed at Grade II 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...
on 12 April 1978; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 2,020 Grade II listed buildings, and 2,173 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Wealden.
Architecture
The chapel is a weatherboardedWeatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
single-storey building with timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
walls and a 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...
-tiled roof with eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
. The construction date of 1824 is visible on a stone on the exterior. The three original bays have, from east to west, a large round-arched window, a doorway with a straight hood mould
Hood mould
In architecture, a hood mould, also called a label mould or dripstone, is an external moulded projection from a wall over an opening to throw off rainwater...
, and another window in the same style. The westernmost bay has an identical window and a small door, again flat-hooded. The windows are sashes
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
and originally had wooden shutters.
The building was mostly of timber construction inside. A three-sided gallery was held up by wooden columns with decorative mouldings
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
at the top and bottom, and three king post
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
s supported the roof (two in the original part of the chapel and one in the western extension). The extension is given further structural stability by five iron columns on the north side. Seven burial vault
Burial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
s with brick walls survive underneath the chapel.