Church in Cheshire, England
Eaton Chapel
is a private chapel to the north of
Eaton Hall
in Eaton Park, near the village of
Eccleston
,
Cheshire
, England. It is recorded in the
National Heritage List for England
as a designated Grade I
listed building
.
[1]
History
[
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]
Building of the chapel commenced in 1869,
[2]
soon after the estate was inherited by
Hugh Grosvenor
, the 3rd Marquess of Westminster, in conjunction with a major rebuilding of the hall. Grosvenor became the 1st Duke of Westminster in 1874.
[3]
He appointed
Alfred Waterhouse
as architect and the building was completed in 1884.
[1]
When the Waterhouse hall was demolished in 1963, the chapel was retained.
[3]
Architecture
[
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]
Exterior
[
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]
The chapel is built in buff
sandstone
with a grey
slate
roof. Internally the stone is in pink and buff bands. Its plan consists of a five-bay
nave
that is continuous with a three-bay
chancel
.
[1]
The chancel terminates with a three-sided
apse
containing the
altar
. The chapel is oriented with the altar at the west end. The last
bay
at the east end constitutes a
narthex
(ante-chapel) with a gallery. On the south of the chapel is a tower which is free-standing, but joined to the chapel at the lower two storeys, and by a bridge above. At the southeast corner is a staircase
turret
. On the south side of the nave and in the apse are two-light windows and at the east end behind the gallery is a four-light window.
[4]
The tower has six stages and contains tall
lancet
bell-openings.
[1]
Above these is the clock stage,
corbelled
out from the shaft of the tower and surmounted by
pinnacles
at each corner.
[4]
On each side is a clock face made from
vitreous enamel
; each clock face is 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 m) in diameter.
[2]
Over this is a spire decorated with
gables
and pinnacles. The staircase turret is surmounted by a spire.
[1]
Interior
[
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]
Interior looking toward high altar, unusually at the west end
The east window
The narthex at the east end has a
groin vaulted
oak roof, and is paved with black
marble
and with
encaustic tiles
. A stone screen leads into the nave. This also has a groin vaulted roof, but built in stone. Between the nave and the chancel is a low
alabaster
screen. A continuation of this screen leads to the
pulpit
: this is also constructed in alabaster with
Devonshire
marble
columns
. The
reredos
and the
font
are also made in alabaster. The benches in the nave and chancel are in
walnut
and have carved ends. In the chancel is a recumbent
effigy
in alabaster of Constance, 1st Duchess of Westminster, by
Joseph Boehm
. For the effigy, Boehm worked from
plaster casts
of the face and hands taken after her death.
[5]
The stained glass in the windows of the south side of the nave and the apse, and the mosaics in the blank on the north side of the nave were designed by
Frederic Shields
. These were commissioned in 1876 and made by
Heaton, Butler and Bayne
.
[4]
The two-
manual
organ is in an alcove on the south side of the chancel.
[6]
It was built in 1870?71 by Charles Whiteley of
Chester
and is still in good working order. The clock tower contains a
carillon
of 28 bells which were cast by Chavalier Severian Van Aerschodt of
Louvain
; it plays 31 tunes. The clock was manufactured by Gillet's of
Croydon
.
[2]
Present day
[
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]
The chapel continues to be the private chapel of the Grosvenor family and is used for family christenings, confirmations and memorial services.
[5]
Each December it is made available for up to eight charities to arrange
Christmas carol
concerts.
[2]
The chapel is also open to the general public on three annual open days.
[7]
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Historic England
,
"Eaton Chapel north of Eaton Hall (1330615)"
,
National Heritage List for England
, retrieved
15 May
2012
- ^
a
b
c
d
Chapel
, Eaton Estate, archived from
the original
on 25 February 2009
, retrieved
6 April
2010
- ^
a
b
Eaton Halls: The Waterhouse Hall
, Eaton Estate, 2002, p. 6
- ^
a
b
c
Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew;
Hubbard, Edward
;
Pevsner, Nikolaus
(2011) [1971],
Cheshire
, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London:
Yale University Press
, pp. 347?348,
ISBN
978-0-300-17043-6
- ^
a
b
Eaton Chapel
, Eaton Estate, 2002
- ^
Cheshire, Eccleston - Eaton Hall, Grosvenor Chapel
,
British Institute of Organ Studies
, retrieved
6 April
2010
- ^
Garden Open Days
, Eaton Estate, archived from
the original
on 27 July 2011
, retrieved
6 April
2010