Roman Catholic Chapel at Barrow Municipal Cemetery

Summary

Cemetery Chapel, 1873; Romanesque style by Paley and Austin.

Reasons for Designation

The Roman Catholic Chapel at Barrow Municipal Cemetery, 1873 by Paley & Austin is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* quality composition and detailing combine with its effective use of silver limestone and red sandstone to produce an attractive Romanesque building;

* it is one of a suite of purpose-built structures which contribute to the interest of the Registered cemetery landscape by Edward Kemp;

* a high-quality piece of architecture and a good example of the quality work produced by the highly regarded architectural firm of Paley & Austin;

* it retains a series of internal features including floor tiles, roof structure, and carved structural detailing.

Group value:

* the chapel has strong group value with the other listed buildings in Barrow Cemetery.

History

Barrow Municipal Cemetery was laid out by Edward Kemp of Liverpool between 1872 and 1874 on land given by the Duke of Devonshire. The cemetery occupies a roughly rectangular area of about 66 acres. It was designed with several sinuous pathways and complementary planting, with a gatehouse and lodges, north lodge, entrance, and Roman Catholic, Non-conformist and Church of England chapels designed by Edward Paley and Hubert Austin. In 1962 the Non-conformist and Church of England chapels were removed and replaced by a crematorium. The former Roman Catholic Chapel lies empty and out of use (2026).

Edward Kemp (1817-1891) was a landscape gardener who trained under Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire and went on to become one of the leading park and garden designers of the C19, working on both public and private commissions. Kemp is known as a nationally renowned landscape designer, whose notable commissions include an important chain of late-C19 parks in Liverpool, and several cemeteries.

The Paley & Austin architectural firm was highly regarded, and its output is considered outstanding in both a regional and a national context. This is especially so during the period from about 1870 to 1910 when it is linked with a wealth of fine churches of diverse nature. The firm has been described as one of England's most remarkable architectural practices.

Details

Cemetery Chapel, 1873 to designs by Paley and Austin. Romanesque style.

MATERIALS: irregular, silver limestone walls with red dressings, graduated slate roof.

PLAN: cruciform with crossing tower.

EXTERIOR: this former Roman Catholic chapel stands in an elevated position at the north-east corner of Barrow Cemetery. It has a chamfered plinth and quoined angle buttresses.

The entrance in the west gable has double doors with decorative iron hinges protected by a modern boarded outer door. The entrance is set within a three-order arch with colonnettes and zig-zag ornament. An impost string course rises to form a hoodmould. A window to the apex set upon a sill band also has zig-zag ornamentation. The windows to each return are set on continuous string courses, linked by impost bands. The projecting transepts have a tall central light flanked by pairs of blind windows with colonnette mullions. The three-light east window has a taller central light with a hoodmould carried over the side lights as a string course. There is a lobed eaves band, chamfered gable copings with an apex cross at the east end and a twin flue stack rising from the south transept and terracotta ridge cresting. The crossing tower rises from a square base to become octagonal and has a leaded window in each side and columns at the angles. There is a carved corbel table and lobed band at the eaves of a steep hipped roof with finial. The central lantern sits upon sandstone broaches with a pyramidal cap.

INTERIOR: there are red/blue floor tiles and a yellow brick wall lining. The crossing has red sandstone semi-circular responds with carved capitals to the arches with nailhead ornament. The east window is adorned internally with red sandstone surrounds with carved colonettes, and some leaded glass. Beneath this is a simple red sandstone altar supported on four squat columns. The roof structure of slender sawn timber members remains in-situ.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

388441

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Brandwood, G, The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, (2012)

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