Ruins Of St Lawrence'S Chapel

NZ 11 NE BARFORTH BARFORTH

4/5 Ruins of St. 12.1.67 Lawrence's Chapel

GV II*

Chapel of the deserted medieval village of Barforth. C12, enlarged and remodelled in C13; nave converted into priest's house in early C16. Rubble, coursed in parts, with ashlar dressings. Rectangular plan.

South elevation in two sections: left part C12. Remains of original round- arched door to left of C13 doorway with arch of 2 orders, the outer hollow- chamfered on jamb shafts whose moulded caps and bases survive; doorway now blocked with a C16 or later 2-light window (also blocked) inserted. To right remains of narrow C12 loop and C16 square chamfered window. Right part of wall, with chamfered plinth, C13: blocked trefoil-headed priest's door and 4 lancet windows. East end has stepped clasping buttresses and small central buttress under 3 stepped lancets with linked hoodmould. North elevation shows from east to west: lancet, round-arched low-side window, chamfered doorway, buttress with chamfered angles and square C16 window; west part of wall largely fallen. West end has 3 stepped buttresses, the shorter central one below a tall lancet subdivided to serve floors of C16 priest's house.

Interior: eastern lancets have sills set low to carry reredos; rebated trefoil-headed aumbry on north. Lower part of C16 cross wall shows jambs of doorway, remains of fireplace, and squint from house to chapel.

Historical note: The chapel may have served a hospital or small collegiate establishment. The priest's house was a farmhouse until the C18; its north wall fell in the mid C19, and the cross wall in the 1960's.

Listing NGR: NZ1640516166