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Ss Mary & Everilda, Everingham facts for kids
| Chapel of Ss Mary & Everilda | |
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Side Chapel Altar of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Everilda, Everingham
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| OS grid reference | SE804421 |
| Location | Everingham, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | private chapel |
| Consecrated | 9 July 1839 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | occasional |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Architect(s) | Agostino Giorgioli |
| Architectural type | Italianate-style |
| Years built | 1836–1839 |
| Closed | 2004 (as a parish church) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Middlesbrough |
| Province | Liverpool |
The Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Everilda is a beautiful Roman Catholic chapel. It is located in the village of Everingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. This chapel is known for its amazing Italianate style. It belongs to the Diocese of Middlesbrough. The Guest family owns the chapel. It is also a very important building, listed as Grade I, and has a wonderful organ.
Contents
History of the Everingham Chapel
The chapel's grand outside look, made of stucco, almost makes the nearby Everingham Hall seem small. John Carr designed the Hall. It was built between 1757 and 1764 for William Haggerston Constable.
Later, William Constable-Maxwell, who was the 10th Lord Herries of Terregles, built the chapel. His family had a long history of being Catholic even when it was difficult. They were known as a "recusant" family.
The chapel was built between 1836 and 1839. This happened after the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 was passed. This act made it easier for Catholics to practice their faith openly.
After the act, many wealthy Catholics helped build new churches and chapels. Yorkshire had many families who stayed Catholic after the Reformation. Some villages, like Everingham, were almost entirely Catholic.
The Catholic Church of St. Everilda was built on the Hall's grounds. A young Roman architect named Agostino Giorgioli designed it in Italy. John Harper of York oversaw its construction. The chapel was designed to look like the Maison Dieu in Nîmes.
The church has tall Corinthian columns on both sides of the main hall. These columns hold up a decorative beam. This beam then supports a deeply carved, curved ceiling. The area around the altar has similar columns and a cleverly designed half-dome ceiling. You can see amazing statues of the apostles around the main hall. There are also statues of Our Lady and St. Everilda near the altar.
Bishop John Briggs officially opened the church on July 9, 1839. He was helped by many other bishops and priests. The ceremony was very long, lasting almost seven hours. A special Mass was held the next day.
Inside the Chapel: Decorations and Organ
While the outside of the chapel looks simple, the inside is truly magnificent. It has a long hall with Corinthian columns. In the spaces between the columns, there are life-sized plaster statues of the Apostles. There are also carved pictures showing scenes from the life of Christ. These were made by Luigi Bozzoni from Carrara.
The ceiling is curved like a barrel. It ends in a rounded space behind the altar. The altar itself is made of marble with shiny granite and porphyry stone panels. Lots of fake marble and real gold leaf make the chapel look even more grand. The way sound travels in the chapel is also very special.
The organ was made by Charles Allen at the same time the chapel was built. It sits high up in a gallery at the back of the church, under the curved ceiling. Even though it's not a huge organ, it looks very impressive. It has a big mahogany case with a shiny gold front. The largest pipes are hidden inside.
The Chapel Today
The Roman Catholic parish of Everingham officially closed in 2004. However, the church is still used by the diocese. Masses are held there regularly.
Cemetery
There is a Roman Catholic cemetery next to the chapel. It includes a war grave for a soldier from the East Yorkshire Regiment who fought in the First World War.