Biddlestone Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Biddlestone Chapel |
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Biddlestone Chapel from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | NT 955,083 |
| Location | Biddlestone, Northumberland |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Biddlestone Chapel |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 31 July 1986 |
| Architect(s) | John Dobson (?) |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | c. 1820 |
| Completed | 1856 |
| Closed | 1992 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roof |
Biddlestone Chapel is an old Roman Catholic church building in a place called Biddlestone, in Northumberland, England. It's a very special building, listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's really important and protected. The Historic Chapels Trust takes care of it now.
The bottom part of the chapel used to be an old tower called a 'pele tower'. This part is also protected as a 'Scheduled Monument'. You can find the chapel in a beautiful area called the Cheviot Hills, inside the Northumberland National Park.
Contents
History of Biddlestone Chapel
Biddlestone Chapel was built around 1820. It was made for the Selby family, who were Roman Catholic and lived at Biddlestone Hall. The person who probably designed it was John Dobson. He also designed the Selby family's big house, which isn't there anymore.
The chapel was built on the spot where a 13th-century (that's the 1200s!) pele tower used to stand. A pele tower was a strong, small castle built to protect against attacks. Some parts of this old tower are still part of the chapel today.
In 1862, William Selby made some changes to the inside of the chapel. The Biddlestone estate, including the chapel, was sold in 1914. After that, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle became responsible for the chapel.
During the Second World War, the basement of the chapel was turned into a shelter in case of air raids. The chapel stopped being used regularly in 1992. In 1996, it was given to the Historic Chapels Trust. This group worked to fix and restore the chapel in 2008. The rest of Biddlestone Hall was taken down around 1960.
What Biddlestone Chapel Looks Like
Outside the Chapel
You can still see the old stone from the Medieval pele tower in the lower parts of the chapel's outside walls. These old walls go up to the roof on the north side and are about 6 feet (1.8 meters) high. This makes the chapel look quite tall for its size.
The rest of the chapel is built with rough stone blocks. It has a roof made of slate from the Lake District. The chapel has three sections, called bays. At the east end, there's an entrance and a window with three lights and Y-shaped patterns. There are three more windows on the south side.
The west end of the chapel used to be connected to the main hall. This side looks a bit uneven and patched up. It has parts of windows that were once there but are now blocked up. There's also a doorway that leads to stairs going to the upper floor. This doorway was originally outside but has since been enclosed. On the east side of the roof, there's a stone cross decoration.
Inside the Chapel
Inside, the basement is the lower part of the old tower. It has a rounded ceiling, like a tunnel. At the east end of this basement, you can still see a corrugated iron air raid shelter from World War II.
Upstairs is the main chapel area. The walls are smooth and plastered, and the roof is made of timber (wood). The chapel has decorations and features in the Gothic Revival style, which was popular for churches.
Long ago, the walls were decorated with stencils. You can see the Selby family's family symbols in the stained glass windows. On the walls at the east end, there are quotes from the Psalms (parts of the Bible).
Next to the altar, there are statues of Mary (Jesus's mother) and Saint Joseph. The Stations of the Cross (pictures showing events from Jesus's last day) are shown with photographs. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was probably made by William Wailes. It shows the Crucifixion, which is when Jesus died on the cross.
See also
- List of chapels preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust
