Medieval chapel 350m south east of Castle Farm

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. Around 4000 parochial chapels were built between the 12th and 17th centuries as subsidiary places of worship built for the convenience of parishioners who lived at a distance from the main parish church. Other chapels were built as private places of worship by manorial lords and lie near or within manor houses, castles or other high-status residences. Chantry chapels were built and maintained by endowment and were established for the singing of masses for the soul of the founder. Some chapels possessed burial grounds. Unlike parish churches, the majority of which remain in ecclesiastical use, chapels were often abandoned as their communities and supporting finances declined or disappeared. Many chantry chapels disappeared after the dissolution of their supporting communities in the 1540s. Chapels, like parish churches, have always been major features of the landscape. A significant number of surviving examples are identified as being nationally important. The sites of abandoned chapels, where positively identified, are particularly worthy of statutory protection as they were often left largely undisturbed and thus retain important information about the nature and date of their use up to their abandonment.

Despite the fact that much of its upper masonry has been removed, the medieval chapel 350m south east of Castle Farm is reasonably well preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. Taken together with the associated medieval settlement, field system and fortified house of Scargill, it will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of medieval life and society.

Details

The monument includes the remains of a chapel of medieval date, situated on a narrow, level plateau above the valley of the River Tees to the north. The chapel is Listed Grade II. The chapel is associated with the medieval fortified house, settlement and field system of Scargill situated to the west, all of which are the subject of a separate scheduling. It is visible as the lower courses of a single roomed rectangular building, orientated east to west, constructed of sandstone rubble. The chapel has maximum dimensions of 14.5m by 7m, with walls 0.8m wide standing to a maximum of 1m high at the east end. An entrance is visible through the south wall. On the north and east sides there are traces of a surrounding enclosure, visible as a low bank of stone and earth which runs around the perimeter of a natural scarp.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32733

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
NZ01SE 10,
1958,

End of official list entry

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