Gordon Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gordon Chapel |
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The south facade, with main entrance
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| 57°36′55″N 3°05′47″W / 57.61528°N 3.09639°W | |
| Location | Fochabers |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Scottish Episcopal Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 19th century |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Category A listed building |
Gordon Chapel is an old church in Fochabers, Scotland. It was built in the 1830s and is part of the Scottish Episcopal Church. This church is very important, so it's called a 'category A listed building'. A famous architect named Archibald Simpson designed it, and the Duchess of Gordon helped pay for it. Later, in the 1870s, Alexander Ross made many improvements. The chapel is special because it has the largest collection of beautiful Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows in Scotland.
Contents
The Chapel's Story
Gordon Chapel was built between 1832 and 1834. It cost about £900, which was a lot of money back then! A well-known Scottish architect, Archibald Simpson, designed the church. He also designed many other important buildings in nearby Aberdeen.
The church was paid for by Elizabeth Brodie. She was the wife of the fifth Duke of Gordon. Their main home, Gordon Castle, was close to Fochabers.
Early Days and Challenges
The chapel on the first floor was officially opened on August 12, 1834. A few months before that, a school had already opened on the ground floor. This area later became the minister's home.
Duchess Elizabeth was a member of the Episcopalian church. She was born in London, and many of her family and staff were from England. Because of this, she preferred church services that followed the English Book of Common Prayer. This was different from the usual Scottish Episcopal services.
These differences caused some arguments. In 1848, the Duchess decided to close the church. Local Episcopalians were sad because they had no place to worship. In 1852, they asked her to let them use the building again. By this time, the Duchess had joined a different church group. She agreed to give the church and school to her nephew, Charles Gordon-Lennox, who was the Duke of Richmond. The church then reopened its doors.
Changes and Modern Times
In 1860, the Duke's son took over. He asked Alexander Ross to make big improvements to the church. This included adding a special type of roof called a hammerbeam roof.
The Gordon-Lennox family owned the building until 1937. Then, the ninth Duke sold it to the Crown Estate. During the Second World War, church services stopped. Soldiers even stayed in the building for a while. After the war, the Crown Estate thought about turning it into a cinema. But the church members worked hard and raised enough money to buy the building in 1950. Since then, it has been used as a church again.
The church had more renovation work starting in 2008. All its windows were carefully removed and restored because a new road was being built nearby. The windows were put back, and the church reopened in 2012.
What the Chapel Looks Like
Gordon Chapel has two levels and is built in a gothic style. The minister's home (which was once a school) is on the ground floor. The chapel itself is on the floor above.
The main entrance faces south onto Castle Street. This part of the building is made of smooth ashlar sandstone. The rest of the building has a rough, textured finish called harled. There's a small part that sticks out in the north-west corner. This was originally a private entrance for the Gordon family.
Amazing Stained Glass Windows
The chapel is famous for having the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows in Scotland. These beautiful windows were made by a company called Morris and Co. Some of them were designed by the famous artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
The windows show many different scenes and people, including:
- The Crucifixion of Jesus (from 1874)
- Saint Cecilia (from 1879)
- Saint Ursula (from 1887)
- The archangel Raphael (from 1902)
- Christ as the Good Shepherd (from 1903)
- The archangel Michael (from 1914)
The St Michael window is special. It remembers Lord Bernard Gordon-Lennox. He was the third son of the seventh Duke of Richmond. He died in battle near Ypres in November 1914, when he was 36 years old, during the First World War.
Current Use
Gordon Chapel is still an active place of worship today. It is part of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Rev Michael Last leads weekly services there.
The chapel is reached by a flight of stairs. But for people who find stairs difficult, the services are shown on a screen in the ground floor room. This way, everyone can take part.
Images for kids
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St Ursula, remembering Frances Gordon-Lennox, Duchess of Richmond
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Michael, remembering Lord Bernard Gordon-Lennox
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St Andrew, remembering George Gordon-Lennox
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St Cecilia, remembering Amy Gordon-Lennox, Countess of March
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The Good Shepherd, remembering Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond
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Christ, remembering William and Ethel Baxter
