Thorndon Park Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thorndon Park Chapel (The Petre Chapel) |
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West end of Thorndon Park Chapel
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| OS grid reference | TQ 615 914 |
| Location | Thorndon Park, near Ingrave, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Historic Chapels Trust |
| History | |
| Status | Private chapel |
| Founder(s) | Lord Petre |
| Dedicated | 1857 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 20 February 1976 |
| Architect(s) | William Wardell |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Ragstone with freestone dressings, tiled roofs |
Thorndon Park Chapel, also known as The Petre Chapel, is an old private chapel. It was once used by the Roman Catholic Petre family. You can find it in Thorndon Park, close to Thorndon Hall, near Ingrave in Essex, England. This chapel is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. Today, the Historic Chapels Trust looks after it.
History of the Chapel
The Petre family lived at Thorndon Hall. They were Roman Catholic. This chapel was built for them as a private place to pray. It was also a mausoleum, a building where family members could be buried.
The chapel was built around 1850. It was officially opened in 1857. The person who designed this beautiful building was an architect named William Wardell.
Over time, the chapel was no longer used regularly. It started to fall into disrepair. In 2010, Lord Petre gave the chapel to the Historic Chapels Trust. This trust helps to save and care for important old chapels.
What the Chapel Looks Like
The chapel is built from a type of stone called Kentish ragstone. It has special freestone details and a tiled roof. The style of the building is called Decorated Gothic. This is a type of Gothic architecture.
The chapel has an L-shape and is divided into three sections called bays. On the south side, there is a small room called a vestry. There is also a bellcote, which is a small tower for a bell.
The sides of the chapel have strong supports called buttresses. They also have windows with two lights, meaning two sections of glass. At the west end, there is an arched doorway. It has carvings in the curved spaces above the arch. Above this doorway is a large window with three lights. It has beautiful curved stone patterns called tracery. The window at the east end looks similar.
The bellcote is attached to the south wall. It has an eight-sided stair turret. Above that is an eight-sided section for the bell. This part is highly decorated. It has tall, narrow windows called lancet openings for the bell. The roof of the bellcote is shaped like a pyramid.
Inside the chapel, the roof is very fancy. It has decorations, including gilded (gold-colored) angels. Around the walls, you can see the Stations of the Cross. These are a series of stone panels. The stone altar is built into the east wall. Above it is a richly carved reredos, which is a decorated screen. Some of the stained glass windows were made by a company called Hardman. These special windows have been moved to a safe storage place.
See Also
- List of chapels preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust
