Elston Chapel
History
Formerly a parish church, the chapel dates from the 12th century, with additions and alterations made in the 14th and 16th centuries. The chapel was created as a separate parish in 1584 and later became a chapelry to East Stoke. In the early 19th century its interior was fitted with pine pews and a gallery. However, by 1872 it was disused and was transferred to the parish of All Saints, Elston.
There is speculation that the chapel was formerly the chapel of a medieval leper hospital dedicated to Saint Leonard. The church was declared redundant on 23 September 1976, and was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 9 February 1976.
Architecture
The chapel is constructed in coursed rubble stone with tile roofs, and consists of a nave and a smaller and lower chancel. In the west wall are two small rectangular windows with a larger rectangular window above. In the north wall of the nave is a two-light window with ogee arches and, to the east in a slightly projecting bay is a single-light window with a pointed arch. The north wall of the chancel contains a two-light window under a flat arch. The east end of the chancel has buttresses, and contains a three-light window with ogee arches under a flat head. The date 1577 is inscribed over the window, and at the apex of the gable is the fragment of a cross. The south wall of the chancel and the nave both contain a two-light window under ogee arches. The south doorway dates from the 12th century, and is in Norman style with a round arch and zigzag decoration. Inside the church fragments of the 19th-century fittings still present. There are several layers of paintings on the walls, including Georgian biblical texts and, on the north wall, a large royal coat of arms.
See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands
- Grade I listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
- Listed buildings in Elston
References
- ^ Historic England, "Elston Chapel (1157196)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 July 2013
- ^ Elston Chapel, Elston, Nottinghamshire, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 29 March 2011
- ^ Nottinghamshire Parish Church Database, Heather Faulkes, archived from the original on 6 November 2010, retrieved 25 November 2010
- ^ All Saints, Elston, Church of England, retrieved 25 November 2010
- ^ Elston Parish Council: Historic Elston, Newark and Sherwood District Council, archived from the original on 30 August 2010, retrieved 25 November 2010
- ^ The Nottinghamshire Village Book: Elston - A Modern Description, The Nottinghamshire Federation of Women's Institutes and Countryside Books, GENUKI, 1989, retrieved 25 November 2010
- ^ Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham: All Schemes (PDF), Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2011, p. 1, retrieved 7 April 2011