Rotherwas Chapel

Details

DINEDOR CP ROTHERWAS SO 53 NW 2/21 Rotherwas Chapel 26.1.67 GV II* Former Roman Catholic chapel of the Bodenham Family: Late C16 with earlier origins. Tower probably C17 or C18: Enlarged and restored in 1868 by Edward Welby Pugin for Roger Bodenham: Restored since 1928 by HM Office of Works. Sandstone rubble and sandstone dressings: Asbestos slate roofs with some tiles and shingles. West tower with west porch. Continuous three-bay nave and apsidal C19 chancel with north vestry and confessional and two south chapels: West tower has three stages. Plain parapet with an obelisk to each corner: Tiled pyramidical roof rising to early C20 oak octagonal lantern with trefoil-headed openings, shingled spire and wrought iron cross. Top stage has central pair of round-headed openings to each side. West elevation has a pair of trefoiled lights under a square head with incised spandrels to middle stage: Ground floor has chamfered segmentally headed west doorway and ledged C18 door masked by early C20 oak timber-framed porch with trefoil headed open panels and shingled roof with pierced quatrefoiled enriched gablet: North and south elevations each have clock face above two central loops, one to middle and one to bottom stage. North elevation of nave has a pair of ogee headed lights to right-hand side and to the left a 4-light window, possibly C14, each light of which is trefoil-headed, set under a hoodmould: C19 vestry has front stack with octagonal shaft. Doorway with four-centred head next to a pair of lancets on west side. East side has a similar pair of lancets. In angle of the vestry and chancel is a small carved head. Above the vestry in the chancel roof is a C19 opposed gablet containing a trefoil-headed light flanked by a pair of quatrefoils. Chancel has a trefoil-headed light to north-east and south-east angles linked by a continuous hoodmould: South wall has another trefoil-headed light. Wrought iron cross at junction of roof hips: South elevation of south-east chapel has three wide lancets in gable front and a stack with octagonal shaft to left-hand return: Above is a gablet in the chancel roof, matching the one on the north side. To left of the south-east chapel is a 4-light window like that in the north wall, possibly C14: South-west chapel has a pair of trefoil-headed lights and a trefoil in each return: To the left of the chapel is a pair of ogee-headed lights like those in north wall. Interior has four nave trusses with moulded members, cambered ties, hammer beams with pendants and arch braces: Moulded wall-plates and purlins dividing the roof slopes into panels. Second tie-beam from west has inscription with date 1589 and Roger Bodenham's name: C19 chancel roof has radiating wooden ribs resting on stone corbels: Chancel has stained glass to diagonal eastern windows: The left one is inscribed, "Behold a great Priest who praised God", and "CHARLES INTERCEDES FOR US"; the right, "She shall laugh in the latter day" and "HOLY IRENE PRAY FOR US". C19 wooden altar of three panels decorated with trefoils and separated by shafts. Piscina has trefoiled head, projecting round drain and hoodmould North and south sides each have a pair of two-centred arches dying into deeply chamfered jambs: The west one on the north side is blind; the adjacent one contains chamfered two-centred doorway to vestry: The southern pair of arches lead into the south-east chapel: The eastern arch has a dwarf stone screen decorated with shields in open quatrefoils. Vestry has C19 fireplace with two- centred head, cast iron grate and enriched hood: Late C20 softwood parquet floor. Confessional in pine to west is reached from nave via C19 doorway with two-centred head: South-east chapel has elaborate bracket for statue to east wall. West wall has fireplace with four-centred head and central pedestal to mantel. South window is flanked by a pair of richly carved shafts with capitals. Attached to right-hand jamb is a piscina with trefoiled head. Restored C19 polychromatic painting to walls: Nave has low four-centred doorway, probably C16.; into south-west chapel: High up in the north wall are the moulded jambs of a fireplace. At east end of same wall is two-centred C19 doorway to confessional. C16 doorway into tower has chamfered segmental head: Above the same doorway are two rows of trefoil-headed traceried openings to the tower with two openings to the top and four to the bottom row. Several floor slabs to members. of the Bodenham and Stonor families, mainly C18. One, in the centre for Thoams Hildeyard, died 1746 is inscribed: IN AGRO LINCOLNIENSI STIRPE GENEROSA ORIUNDUS Rotherwas Chapel is a scheduled Ancient Monument, County number 123. (BoE, p 133; RCHM Vol I, p 54).

Listing NGR: SO5361638333

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

155618

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Inventory of Herefordshire I South West, (1931), 54
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Herefordshire, (1963), 133

End of official list entry

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