Listed Building record MDR4874 - Trinity Chapel (remains of), Brackenfield
Type and Period (1)
- CHAPEL (Tudor to Post Medieval - 1520 AD? to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
[SK 3588 5934] Trinity Chapel [G.T.] (In ruins) (1). This chapel was served by the Rector of Morton but became a separate benefice in the 18th century. It was superseded by the new church built at Brackenfield in 1856 [see SMR 1909]. The building measures 38 ft by 16 ft with 10 ft partitioned off for the chancel. There are windows in the east, south, west and north walls but in the latter two walls they are blocked. There are simple square-headed doors to the south porch. The fabric seems to have been completely renewed in the 16th century but a 15th century screen is in situ. The foundations of the chancel extend beyond the present line probably indicating a larger medieval building. The chapel is mentioned in a will of 1504. (2)
This ancient but now disused chapel lies in Brackenfield on the lower slope of an off-shoot of High-Ordish, one of the highest summits in the district. This old sanctuary was dismantled at the erection of the present Church of Brackenfield, where its ancient rood-screen may be seen attached to the west wall of the nave. The font, a modern fluted bason (c. 1800) now stands on the vicarage lawn. Trinity Chapel is rapidly falling into ruin [in 1899]. It consists of one rectangular block with a continuous roof from east to west, covered with slabs of stone. The fabric possesses a most picturesque bell turret with two openings of very Norman-like character, but hardly so early. A few of the old oak benches still remain in the building. There is no chapel yard, and no interments have been permitted to take place there. The chapel appears to have been erected but a short time before the Reformation, perhaps about 1520-1530. An entry in the diary of Leonard Wheatcroft for December 27 1669 notes '… went with brother Samuell to his wedding at Trinity Chapell'. (3)
The ruins of the chapel are in poor condition. The present structure is of 16th century date with a more recent bell-cote and gable-cross. A modern pump-house has replaced a spring, at SK 3589 5933, which not only supplied water to neighbouring farms but appears to have had a local reputation as a 'holy well'. Within living memory its water was used to bathe weak eyes. The chapel's font is placed in the garden of the rectory at Brackenfield; the screen (restored) has been placed against the west wall of the south aisle of Holy Trinity Church, Brackenfield. AO/60/112/3 - Chapel from the south-east. See G.P.s : AO/60/112/1 - Interior view of east end; AO/60/112/2 - Interior view of west end; (5) No change (6)
Vandelism was reported at the chapel in 1994. Masonry was found to have been dislodged and broken, mullions had been thrown down onto the ground and a fire had been lit in a corner of the building. (8) Concern at the state of the chapel by December 2006 was such that English Heritage offered a grant towards procuring a suitable structural engineer's report on the condition of the ruins. (9)
Sources/Archives (9)
- <1> SDR12065 Map: OS 6" 1921.
- <2> SDR11673 Bibliographic reference: Cox, J. 1875. Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire, Vol. I. p277-80.
- <3> SDR7859 Article in serial: Kerry, C. 1899. 'The autobiography of Leonard Wheatcroft', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 21, pp 26-60. pp 31-32.
- <4> SDR6460 Personal Observation: F1 WCW 05-MAY-60.
- <5> SDR6630 Personal Observation: F2 WCW 24-MAY-60.
- <6> SDR6666 Personal Observation: F3 JB 02-MAR-66.
- <7> SDR10805 Index: NDAT. 0362. 0362.
- <8> SDR19177 Personal Observation: Myers, A. Site visit or other evidence. 14/7/94.
- <9> SDR19933 Unpublished document: Allen, T (English Heritage). Letter from English Heritage to the Brackenfield Church Warden, December 15 2006.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 3586 5934 (12m by 10m) Centre |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BRACKENFIELD, NORTH EAST DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR752
- EDR822
- EDR1358
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jan 17 2024 12:34AM