Rivington Unitarian Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rivington Unitarian Chapel |
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Unitarian Chapel, Rivington
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 Rivington Unitarian Chapel
Location in the Borough of Chorley
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| 53°37′32″N 2°33′55″W / 53.6255°N 2.5652°W | |
| Location | Rivington, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Unitarian |
| History | |
| Founded | 1703 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed building |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | local gritstone |
The Rivington Unitarian Chapel is a special church in Rivington, Lancashire, England. People have gathered here to worship since 1667, and the chapel building itself was built in 1703. It's still an active place of worship today! This chapel is also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historical site that needs to be protected. It has been restored a few times, including in 1990, and is still being looked after.
Contents
A Look Back in Time at Rivington Chapel
Long ago, in the 1600s, there were groups of Christians called Presbyterians and Puritans. They had a lot of power in England for a while. But after 1660, the Church of England became powerful again. They made new rules to make everyone follow their ways. These rules were called the Clarendon Code.
Many ministers who didn't agree with the new rules had to leave their churches. This happened in 1662 and was called the Great Ejection. About 2,500 ministers left their churches. Samuel Newton, a minister from Rivington Church, was one of them. Many people from his church followed him. They started the first nonconformist group in Rivington.
New laws made it hard for these groups to meet. The Conventicle Act 1664 stopped more than five people from meeting for worship without permission. The Five Mile Act 1665 tried to stop nonconformist ministers from preaching.
But people still supported them. William Anderton left money in 1670 to help the ministers. Samuel Newton got a special permission to teach in 1672. He even preached at Rivington Church again in 1674. He died in 1682 and was buried at Rivington Church.
Building the Chapel
More people helped by giving money for the nonconformists. By 1702, people were meeting in different houses. Then, in 1703, the chapel was built! A man named John Andrews gave the land for a very small rent for 2,000 years. He said it had to be used only for Protestant religious services that were different from the Church of England.
The chapel was built with local stone. By 1704, a formal agreement was signed, and the chapel had good funding. The Rev. John Turner, a minister here, even helped in a battle in 1715. Between 1717 and 1729, about 395 people attended the chapel.
Over time, the chapel's beliefs changed from Presbyterianism to Unitarianism around 1754. Around that time, the chapel also got permission to hold weddings. In 2021, this permission was updated to allow same-sex marriages.
Changes and Challenges
In 1760, some people who disagreed with Unitarianism at Rivington decided to build their own church, Lee Chapel, in Horwich. This caused a split between the two chapels.
A house for the minister, called a manse, was built in 1787. A Sunday school started in 1795 in the building next door. A library was also added in 1821 and stayed open until 1985.
In 1893, some Methodists tried to interrupt a service at the chapel by preaching loudly outside. But a local villager, annoyed by the noise, banged a silver tea tray to make even more noise and stop them!
The chapel has been repaired many times. The inside was fixed in 1952 and 1960. In 1961, Unitarians from all over the country came to visit the chapel. The old manse is now a private home. Money from its sale was used to create a garden of remembrance in 1970. This garden has walls with special spots for ashes. After the library closed, its building became a cafe, now called Rivington Village Green Tea Room. The roof was repaired in 2016 to keep the chapel safe.
Exploring the Chapel's Design
Outside the Chapel
The chapel is a simple building. It was first built with a thatched roof, which is a roof made of straw or reeds. Now it has a slate roof. The building is made of local gritstone, a type of rough stone.
It has a small, six-sided bell tower on one end. The bell was bought in 1876. The side walls have two windows with rectangular glass panes. The front and back walls have windows with small diamond-shaped glass panes. On the south side, there are two doors. One of them has a stone above it with the date 1703 carved into it.
At the north-west corner, there's a two-story part that used to be the school house. The chapel is surrounded by a drystone wall. The chapel's first bell and its cast iron gates from 1816 are still there.
Inside the Chapel
The ceiling inside the chapel is held up by strong oak beams. The walls are painted simply with lime wash, which has been used since 1808.
On the north wall, there's a raised, five-sided pulpit. This is where the preacher stands. It has carvings and is one of the few pulpits still in its original spot. A rail at the front of the pulpit says, "Marriages may be solemnised in this chapel." This reminds us that for a long time, marriages performed here weren't officially recognized.
The chapel still has its original box pews. These were like small, private boxes where families would sit. They used to be owned or rented by families. The Willoughby family's pew has a fancy wooden cover above it. There's also a special area for the choir.
The church organ was given to the chapel in 1843. Some of the original pews were moved to make space for it. On the pews near the organ, it says, "Let the peeling organ blow." The chapel got electric lights in 1952, but the old candle holders are still there.
Memories and Monuments
Inside the Chapel
There are many memorials inside the chapel. A broken piece of slate was found in 1844 and put back together. It's now above the entrance and says, "Rev Samuel Newton driven from Church on Bartholomew Sunday 1662." This remembers the minister who had to leave his church.
On the north wall, there's a large monument from the 1700s for the Willoughby family. Other memorials remember important families like the Andrews and Cromptons, who owned Rivington Hall. There's also a memorial for a former minister, Rev Samuel Thompson, who served the chapel for many years.
Chapel Yard
The chapel yard used to be just grass. Until the early 1900s, the chapel was covered in Ivy, and the gate was kept locked. If there wasn't a service, you needed someone to go with you to enter. During summer services, the windows were open.
The gravestones are different types. Many older ones were raised up on stone sides. But by the mid-1900s, many of these had to be lowered because their supports were sinking. Some graves had fancy iron fences around them, but these were taken away during World War II to be used for making weapons.
Many important families are buried here, including the Pilkingtons, Andrews, and Cromptons, who were lords of Rivington Manor. There are also graves for the Shaws and the Ormrods. A plaque remembers Walt Whitman, a famous writer, who was celebrated here in 1913.
There are four old date stones in the graveyard near the entrance. One is from 1695, and another from 1698 has the initials of James and Rebecca Isherwood. Other stones are from Rivington Hall coach house (1713) and another from 1732.
Chapel Life Today
In the past, Sunday services were at 10 am, and people dressed formally. Now, it's more casual. Long ago, young women would carry small bunches of flowers to church. Before the organ arrived in 1843, music was played with a Bassoon and a violoncello. Hymn numbers were written on a slate with chalk. Now, there's a hymn board.
The chapel is still an active place of worship. Services are held on the first and third Sunday of each month at 2:15 pm. The bell is rung to call people to the service, and a candle is lit when it begins.
The chapel takes part in the annual Rivington Spring Festival in May. They also have a Strawberry Tea in June, a Late Summer Fair in September, and organize day trips and open days. They also hold weddings, blessings, baptisms (naming ceremonies), and funerals.
The congregation is part of a larger group called the Manchester District Association of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. This group is part of the main organization for British Unitarians, the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.
The chapel has a special motto:
"Here is quietness for the healing of our spirits;
Here is history for the background of our lives;
Here let no one be a stranger."
Images for kids
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Former School House, now a Tea room
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Pulpit, north wall
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Church organ, interior south-east corner
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Willoughby Canopy
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Rivington Unitarian Chapel Banner
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Andrews memorial, interior south wall
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Crompton memorial, interior south wall
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Newton plaque, interior south wall
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Lowe memorial, interior north wall
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Smithells memorial, interior west wall
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Monument to Barons Willoughby of Parham, north wall
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List of ministers, interior north wall
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Memorial to Rev Samuel Thompson interior of Rivington Chapel
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Memorial to Alice Brindle at Unitarian Chapel Rivington
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Norrey family memorial inside Rivington Unitarian Chapel
