The Chapel Outbuildings And Yard Walls At North End Of Rock Hall

NU 2020 RENNINGTON ROCK VILLAGE (West end)

15/218 The Chapel: Outbuilding and yard walls at north end of Rock Hall GV II

Outbuildings with attached yard walls. Medieval, altered in early C19. Rubble with cut dressings; Welsh slate roof. The 'Chapel' is a rectangular east-west building; its west end forms part of a wall running north from the north-west corner of the Hall to join the south end of the garden wall (q.v.); and a second wall runs east from its north-east corner, returning south to join the north-east corner of the Hall and thus enclosing an irregular yard.

South wall of 'Chapel' shows blocked doorway with 2-centred chamfered arch; two 2-light mullioned windows to right and a C20 window above; coped gable ends, truncated stack near left end of ridge. Right return is C19 rebuild, with wide pointed window; rear elevation, inside later outbuilding, shows another 2-light window. Short length of crenellated wall to south joins Hall north-west wing. Longer length of wall to north shows blocked opening with timber lintel. Wall to east, with chamfered doorway, is 0.9 metre thick and probably medieval, but thinner southward return may be early C19; this section has a canted projection with a three-light mullioned-and- transomed window.

Interior of 'Chapel' shows remains of large blocked segmental-arched fireplace, with two brick-lined ovens in blocking.

Whether the 'Chapel' actually had an ecclesiastical function is unclear; in the C17 it would seem to have served as a detached kitchen. The canted projection follows the form of Dobson's early C19 extensions at the south end of the Hall, and may have been built then in its present ruined form.

Listing NGR: NU2009120288