Walpole Old Chapel is a
redundant chapel in Halesworth Road,
Walpole,
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, England. Originally two farmhouses, it was converted into a chapel in the 17th century. It continued in use into the 20th century but closed in 1970. It is now owned by the
Historic Chapels Trust
The Historic Chapels Trust is a British Registered Charity set up to care for redundant non- Anglican churches, chapels, and places of worship in England. To date, its holdings encompass various nonconformist Christian denominations and Rom ...
.
History
The building originated as two farmhouses in the late 16th century. In the middle of the 17th century a group of
Independent Christians was meeting in the nearby village of Cookley. Following the passing of the
Act of Toleration in 1689, which gave the right of freedom of worship to
Nonconformists, six trustees from the group took out a lease on the building and the surrounding of land, and converted the farmhouse into a chapel.
In about 1700 an extension was added to the back of the building.
Over the years attendance at the chapel declined, not helped by the establishment of an Independent chapel in the nearby town of
Halesworth. Numbers continued to decline during the 20th century, and in 1958 the trusteeship was passed to the Suffolk Congregational Union. The chapel finally closed in 1970, following which the building remained unused. In 1995 it came into the care of the Historic Chapels Trust.
[
]
Architecture and furnishings
The chapel has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is timber framed with some brick casing in the left-hand gable. The exterior is plastered and the roof is tiled. The entrance face contains two doors.[ The interior is dominated by the ]pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
opposite the doors, and the main light for the chapel comes from round-arched windows, one on each sire of the pulpit.finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
.[ The roof is supported by three circular timber columns. On three sides, opposite the pulpit and on the side walls, is a tiered gallery. The floor is brick. On the ground floor are eleven box pews; elsewhere on the ground floor and in the gallery seating is provided on benches. Suspended from the roof is a six-branched ]candelabrum
A candelabra (plural candelabras) or candelabrum (plural candelabra or candelabrums) is a candle holder with multiple arms.
Although electricity has relegated candleholders to decorative use, interior designers continue to model light fixtures ...
dating from the 18th century.[ Outside the chapel is a grassed graveyard.][
]
Recent history and present day
Since taking ownership of the building, the Historic Chapels Trust
The Historic Chapels Trust is a British Registered Charity set up to care for redundant non- Anglican churches, chapels, and places of worship in England. To date, its holdings encompass various nonconformist Christian denominations and Rom ...
has carried out repairs and modernisation, including the reinstatement of the historic painting scheme in the interior and, in 2007, the painting of the exterior.[ A detached outbuilding has been constructed to house WC and small kitchen to cater for events at the chapel. Three ]ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
services are held each year in the chapel, and at other times concerts and other events are organised. It is open for visitors on Saturday afternoons during the summer. The building is licensed for religious marriages, and can be used for baptisms and for blessings after civil marriages.
See also
*List of chapels preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust
The Historic Chapels Trust is a British Registered Charity set up to care for redundant non-Anglican churches, chapels, and places of worship in England. To date, its holdings encompass various nonconformist Christian denominations and Roman ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official websiteProtestant Dissenters
- A farewell address delivered to a congregation of Protestant Dissenters, at Walpole in Suffolk, April 5, 1767. by Thomas Howe
Grade II* listed churches in Suffolk
17th-century churches in the United Kingdom
Churches preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust
17th-century Protestant churches