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.
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.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
32733
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
