Bardon Park Chapel facts for kids

The Bardon Park Chapel is a very old Christian building in Bardon, Leicestershire, England. It's about 300 years old! You can find it near the A511 road, between Coalville and Markfield. When it was first built, it was inside a medieval deer park.

This chapel is a special building, officially listed as a Grade II Listed building. Many people think it might be the oldest place of worship in Leicestershire for Christians who are not part of the main Church of England. These groups are sometimes called "non-conformists" or "Free Churches."

Why was Bardon Park Chapel built?

In the 1600s, it was against the law in England to worship God in any way other than the rules of the Church of England. But some people, called "Dissenters," wanted to worship differently. They often met in secret.

After a big change in England's government in 1688, called the Glorious Revolution, a new law was passed in 1689. This law, the Act of Toleration, made it legal for Dissenters to worship freely.

Soon after this, John Hood, who owned Bardon Hall, built this chapel. He hired a Presbyterian minister named Reverend Michael Matthews to lead the services.

Learning at the Chapel

The chapel wasn't just for worship. It also helped with education!

A Sunday school started at Bardon Park in 1820. This was a place where children could learn about the Bible and other subjects on Sundays.

There was also a day-school here before 1870. This school was part of a group called the "British Schools." These schools aimed to provide education for children from all backgrounds.

What the Chapel Looks Like

The chapel building is square-shaped. Inside, it has a tall pulpit on the north wall, which is where the minister speaks from. Behind the pulpit are two large, round-topped windows.

The chapel also has galleries on three sides. These are like balconies where more people can sit during services. The current galleries were built in 1905, but there were older ones before that.

In 1877, the outside of the chapel was changed quite a bit. You can see an "1877" date stone above the door, but the building itself is much older, about 300 years old. The roof was also changed in 1877.

One interesting thing about the chapel is a special casement window that opens wide. This was designed to allow coffins to be brought inside for funerals.

Behind the chapel, there's a schoolroom from the 1800s. Inside, you can still see an alphabet board painted on the wall from 1848. It was used to teach children their letters!

The chapel buildings are set back from the road and are surrounded by a large burial ground (cemetery). From the chapel, you can see across the old deer park and towards Bardon Hall.

Who Worshipped Here?

In the 1700s, important local families and landowners came to "Bardon Meeting."

Later, in the 1800s, the chapel became a place of worship for local farm workers, colliery (coal mine) workers, and quarry workers. Today, the chapel still has a small group of people who worship there regularly.

Different Christian Groups at the Chapel

The first ministers at Bardon Park were Presbyterian. Over time, the chapel welcomed different groups of "Protestant Dissenters."

In 1765, when the chapel was officially put into the care of trustees, the rules said it was for "Protestant Dissenters" to worship in, without naming a specific group.

In the 1800s, the Bardon Park congregation joined the Congregational Union, which was a national group of churches. Later, in 1972, the Presbyterian Church of England and the Congregational Union joined together to form the United Reformed Church. The Bardon Park Chapel became part of this new church.

In 2010, both the United Reformed Church congregation and another group called Bardon Park Chapel Christian Fellowship used the chapel for worship.

So, throughout its long history, Bardon Park Chapel has been a place for different Christian groups, including Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and other Christians, to worship God.

How to Find the Chapel

The chapel is located on Shaw Lane, which is part of the A511 main road. It's about 1.4 miles west of the M1 motorway, at Junction 22.

The postal address for the chapel is Shaw Lane, Bardon Hill, Coalville, LE67 1SY.

The chapel stands quite high up, about 635 feet (or 193 meters) above sea level.