Eaton Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eaton Chapel |
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Chapel of Eaton Hall seen from the south
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| OS grid reference | SJ 413 607 |
| Location | Eaton Hall near Eccleston, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Eaton Hall Chapel |
| History | |
| Status | Private chapel |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 2 November 1983 |
| Architect(s) | Alfred Waterhouse |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1869 |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 175 feet (53 m) |
| Materials | Buff sandstone Grey slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Chester |
Eaton Chapel is a special private chapel. It is located just north of Eaton Hall in Eaton Park, near the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England. This chapel is very important. It is listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is considered to be of exceptional historical or architectural interest.
Contents
History of Eaton Chapel
Building the chapel started in 1869. This was soon after Hugh Grosvenor took over the Eaton estate. He was the 3rd Marquess of Westminster at the time. He also began a huge project to rebuild the main hall.
Grosvenor later became the 1st Duke of Westminster in 1874. He hired a famous architect named Alfred Waterhouse to design the chapel. The building was finished in 1884. Even when the Waterhouse-designed hall was taken down in 1963, the beautiful chapel was kept.
Architecture and Design
Outside the Chapel
The chapel is built from light brown sandstone. It has a grey slate roof. Inside, the stone walls have bands of pink and light brown colors. The chapel's layout includes a main area called a nave with five sections. This leads into a three-section area called a chancel.
The chancel ends in a three-sided area called an apse. This is where the altar is located. Interestingly, the altar is at the west end of the chapel. The very last section at the east end is a narthex, which is like an entrance hall. It has a gallery above.
On the south side of the chapel, there is a tall tower. This tower stands freely but is connected to the chapel. It joins at the bottom two floors and by a bridge higher up. At the southeast corner, there is a small staircase turret.
The south side of the nave and the apse have windows with two lights (sections). At the east end, behind the gallery, there is a large window with four lights. The tower has six levels. It features tall, narrow lancet windows for the bells.
Above these bell windows is the clock section. This part sticks out from the tower's main shaft. It has pinnacles at each corner. Each side has a clock face made from special vitreous enamel. Each clock face is about 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 meters) wide. On top of the clock section is a tall spire. This spire is decorated with gables and more pinnacles. The staircase turret also has its own small spire.
Inside the Chapel
The narthex at the east end has an oak roof. This roof is shaped with groin vaults, which look like intersecting arches. The floor is made of black marble and special encaustic tiles. A stone screen separates the narthex from the nave.
The nave also has a groin vaulted roof, but this one is made of stone. Between the nave and the chancel, there is a low screen made of alabaster. This screen continues to the pulpit, which is also made of alabaster. It has columns of Devonshire marble.
The reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) and the font are also made of alabaster. The benches in the nave and chancel are made of walnut wood. They have beautifully carved ends. In the chancel, there is a statue of Constance, the 1st Duchess of Westminster. This statue shows her lying down and is made of alabaster by Joseph Boehm. Boehm used plaster casts of her face and hands to create the statue after she passed away.
The stained glass windows on the south side of the nave and in the apse were designed by Frederic Shields. He also designed the mosaics on the blank north side of the nave. These artworks were ordered in 1876. They were made by a company called Heaton, Butler and Bayne.
The chapel has a two-manual organ. This means it has two keyboards for playing. The organ is in a special alcove on the south side of the chancel. It was built in 1870–71 by Charles Whiteley of Chester. It is still in excellent working condition today.
The clock tower holds a carillon of 28 bells. A carillon is a musical instrument made of bells. These bells were cast by Chavalier Severian Van Aerschodt of Louvain. The carillon can play 31 different tunes. The clock itself was made by Gillet's of Croydon.
Eaton Chapel Today
Eaton Chapel is still the private chapel for the Grosvenor family. They use it for important family events. These include christenings (baptisms), confirmations, and memorial services.
Every December, the chapel is opened for up to eight charities. They can use it to hold Christmas carol concerts. The chapel is also open to the general public on three special open days each year.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
- Listed buildings in Eaton, Cheshire West and Chester
- List of ecclesiastical works by Alfred Waterhouse
