Memorial Chapel, The Leys School facts for kids
The Memorial Chapel of The Leys is a special building at The Leys School in Cambridge, England. It was built to remember the school's first headmaster, William Fiddian Moulton. An architect named Robert Curwen designed the chapel.
At first, the school's second headmaster, W. T. A. Barber, thought the chapel was too fancy and not needed. So, school services continued in the main school hall. But in 1904, the school leaders decided to build the chapel after all. By 1925, the total cost, including everything inside, was about £39,000.
The first stone for the chapel was placed on June 8, 1905, by Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont. The chapel was officially opened on October 27, 1906. Its design is called Gothic Revival, which means it looks like old Gothic churches. This style helps it match the other buildings around it.
All the visible wood inside is made of oak. The roof has fancy wooden beams and patterns, similar to the famous roof of Westminster Hall. The floor is made of black and white marble tiles. The chapel was designed to hold 350 students, and the balcony was for the school staff.
Remembering Heroes: The War Memorial
In 1914, many students from The Leys School, called Leysians, joined the armed services. A total of 927 Leysians served, and sadly, 146 of them died during the First World War.
To honor these brave students, a special memorial was built. It cost £48,000 and was paid for by donations. On June 6, 1920, the Duke of York, who later became King George VI, officially revealed the memorial. It has four rows of names, with a statue of an armored St George in the middle. Below the statue, it says: "To The Immortal Memory of Old Leysians Who Fell In The War Of 1914–1919." There are also big letters that say: "My Marks And Scars With Me To Be A Witness For Me That I Have Fought His Battles Who Now Will Be My Reward."
Colorful Stories in Stained Glass
The chapel has fourteen beautiful windows made of stained glass. The school leaders asked an artist named H. J. Salisbury to design all of them with a similar theme. His work was inspired by the windows in King's College Chapel, Cambridge.
Because The Leys is a Methodist school, the designs needed to be simple. They avoided complicated symbols. All but one of the windows show stories from the New Testament about the life of Christ. The very large window above the main entrance is different. It shows ten stories from the Old Testament that predict the coming of the Messiah.
The Pulpit: A Place for Preaching
The pulpit in the chapel is made of oak wood. It has a brass sign with an inscription. This inscription says: "To the Glory of God and for the Preaching of His holy word this Pulpit was carved by Anne Hobson, Helen Mary Chubb, and George Hayter Chubb, and presented by the latter to The Leys, October, 1906." This means it was a gift to the school.
