Medieval chapel in the grounds of Shillingham Manor

Reasons for Designation

A medieval chapel is a building, usually rectangular, containing a range of furnishings and fittings appropriate for Christian worship in the pre- Reformation period. Chapels were designed for congregational worship and were generally divided into two main parts: the nave, which provided accommodation for the laity, and the chancel, which was the main domain of the priest and contained the principal altar. Some chapels were built as private places of worship by manorial lords and lie near or within manor houses, castles or other high-status residences. Unlike parish churches, the majority of which remain in ecclesiastical use, chapels were often abandoned by their owners or communities as supporting finances declined or disappeared. The sites of abandoned chapels were often left largely undisturbed and thus retain important information about the nature and date of their use up to their abandonment. Despite the apparent loss of the two manor houses formerly associated with the chapel, the medieval chapel in the grounds Shillingham Manor has survived reasonably well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, use, probable re-use, social, political and religious significance, abandonment and overall landscape context.

Details

The monument includes a medieval chapel, situated in the grounds of Shillingham Manor, immediately south east of the current house and overlooking the estuary of the St Germans or Lynher River close to its confluence with the River Tamar. The chapel survives as a small single-celled roofless rectangular structure with three of its walls standing in places to almost full height. Nothing is visible of the fourth or west wall, although part of it has probably been incorporated into the current house. There are two windows in the north wall one of which has some tracery, possibly dating to 1300. The southern wall has one window. The eastern wall stands to almost full height and on either side of its window are brackets for images. There are also two well-preserved piscinae. Further architectural fragments are dotted throughout the gardens, but are not included within the scheduling.

The chapel originally formed part of a 14th century manor house and was first documented in 1314. This manor house and the site of a later 16th to 17th century mansion belonged to the Buller family who featured strongly during the Civil War in Cornwall in the 17th century.

The chapel is Listed Grade II* (60470).

Sources: HER:- PastScape Monument No:-889875

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

CO 604

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

End of official list entry

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