St John The Baptist's Chapel, Matlock Bath
History
The chapel was built in 1897 for Mrs Louisa Sophia Harris, and was designed by Guy Dawber; it was the only church designed by Dawber. Since being declared redundant it has been taken into the care of the charity, the Friends of Friendless Churches, to whom the freehold was conveyed on 15 March 2002. Since taking it over, the charity has arranged repairs, including rebuilding the gates and cleaning and repairing the chandeliers.
Architecture
The chapel is constructed in rubble carboniferous limestone with ashlar gritstone dressings. Its plan consists of a single cell. On its south side is a bell turret with a lead-covered pyramidal roof. Also on the south side is an oriel window with mullioned lights. The chapel is entered through a west doorway in a porch that is continued round the north side to form a covered walkway. The internal fittings are in Arts and Crafts style. The decorated barrel-vaulted plastered ceiling was designed by George Bankart, the stained glass at the east end by Louis Davis, and the painted altarpiece by John Cooke. Dawber designed the perpendicular style rood screen, and probably the pulpit, pews, choir stalls and light fittings.
See also
References
- ^ Historic England, "Chapel of St John the Baptist Supporting retaining wall and attached boundary walls, Matlock Bath (1248139)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 8 December 2013
- ^ Matlock Bath St John the Baptist, Friends of Friendless Churches, archived from the original on 1 July 2011, retrieved 22 July 2010
- ^ Churches and chapels owned by the Friends of Friendless Churches: Details for Visitors, London: Friends of Friendless Churches, June 2010
Further reading
- Saunders, Matthew (2010), Saving Churches, London: Frances Lincoln, pp. 77–78, ISBN 978-0-7112-3154-2