Lancing College Chapel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lancing College Chapel
Chapel of St Mary and St Nicolas, Lancing
Location	Lancing, West Sussex
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	High Church
Website	Lancing College Website
History
Founded	1848
Founder(s)	Nathaniel Woodard
Dedication	St Mary and St Nicolas
Dedicated	1978 by Archbishop Coggan
Architecture
Architect(s)	R.H. Carpenter/William Slater
Style	Gothic Revival with French Influences
Years built	1868 to 1977
Groundbreaking	1868
Completed	2021
Specifications
Height	90ft (27.4m) - Vaulting Height

The Lancing College Chapel is a beautiful church located at Lancing College in West Sussex, England. It's a great example of Gothic Revival architecture, which means it was built to look like the grand churches from the Middle Ages.

The chapel was designed by architects R.H. Carpenter and William Slater. Building started in 1868. The lower part, called the crypt, was finished in 1875. The college then began using it for worship.

It took a very long time to finish the chapel because of building problems and not enough money. The main part of the chapel was finally ready in 1911. It was dedicated to St Mary and St Nicolas. Even then, it wasn't fully complete. For many years, the west wall was covered with a simple metal sheet!

The chapel is made from sandstone found in Scaynes Hill, West Sussex. It's a very important building, listed as Grade I, and it's known as the largest school chapel in the world.

A special stained-glass window was added in 2007. It was made to remember Trevor Huddleston, a former student. Desmond Tutu, a famous leader, helped dedicate this window.

Amazing Architecture

Lancing College Chapel is one of the tallest churches in the United Kingdom. Its vaulted ceiling reaches an amazing 90 feet (27.4 meters) above the floor. Imagine looking up at that!

The chapel's design is inspired by English Gothic churches from the 1200s. It also has some French influences. You can see these influences in its huge upper windows and the large, round window at the west end.

The Giant Rose Window

The chapel's rose window is a stunning feature. It was designed by Stephen Dykes Bower and finished in 1977. This window is the largest rose window in England, measuring 32 feet across!

Completing the Chapel

For many years, the west end of the chapel was unfinished. It had been bricked up since 1978. But in 2021, it was finally completed! An open porch with three arches was added. This was made possible by a group called the Friends of Lancing Chapel.

Founder's Tomb

Inside the chapel, you can find the tomb of Nathaniel Woodard. He was the person who started the school. Woodard wanted the chapel to be built very tall from one end first. This was so that even if he passed away before it was done, no one could make it shorter to save money.

The Organs

The chapel is home to three organs. One is a special mechanical organ from Denmark, installed in 1986. That same year, another large organ at the west end was rebuilt. Both organs were shown off in a concert by a famous organ player, Carlo Curley.

The chapel was closed to visitors for a while during the coronavirus pandemic. It also closed for the completion of the west porch and other work. It reopened to the public in April 2022.

Supporting the Chapel

The Friends of Lancing Chapel is a charity (Registered Charity No. 241403). Their main goal is to help keep this amazing building in good condition. They want to make sure it is preserved and improved for many years to come.

Gallery

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  The chapel as seen from the Triforium

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  The vaulted roof

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  The chapel organ

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  Painted roof

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  Flying buttresses

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  Tomb of Nathaniel Woodard in the chapel

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  The completed west porch