Noseley Chapel

Noseley Chapel is a building dating from approximately 1274 to 1305, with details from the 15th century. It was initially built as a private chapel around 1220 and refounded as a college of chantry chaplains in 1274. The chapel is constructed of coursed ironstone rubble with limestone dressings, and has a leaded roof. It consists of an undivided nave and chancel, forming a long structure of eight bays, with buttresses between each bay. A 15th-century embattled parapet runs along the roof. A west door is flanked by a 5-light window above it, with trefoiled niches on either side. There are north and south doorways, the north now blocked, with simple hood moulds. A shield of the Marteval family is positioned above the south doorway. Side windows are Y-traceried, while the east and west windows are 5-light designs from the 15th century. A blocked north doorway towards the east formerly led to a tower, which no longer exists. Inside, the Y-traceried windows are set in shafted recesses. A sedilia with reeded shafts and foliate capitals is integrated with an ogee-arched double piscina. The 15th-century roof features tie beams with short king posts carved into grotesque forms, and traceried spandrels. A notable feature is the series of Hazelrigg family tombs: the effigies of the 1st Baronet, Sir Thomas Hazelrigg (died 1629), and his wife (died 1668) lie on a chest with flank arcading containing shields of arms. Behind the main effigies, fourteen children kneel on each side of an inscription surmounted by the family crest. The 2nd Baronet, Sir Arthur Hazelrigg (died 1661), is depicted in a marble effigy with both his wives, one turned on her side, and twelve children of various sizes kneel below, with a large aedicle containing an oval inscription plate attributed to William Wright. A memorial to Elizabeth Senwicke (died 1673), the wife of the 3rd Baronet, consists of a small wall memorial with two angels pulling back curtains from the inscription. The 7th Baronet, Sir Arthur Hazelrigg (died 1763) has a simple oval wall memorial with garlands, attributed to William Cox of Northampton. C15 stalls, likely dating from 1473-4, known as the cock pews, have bench ends with cockerels atop, which is the emblem of the Staunton family, alongside poppy heads. The bench ends are mostly ornate with an architectural theme, including two rose windows, while two display illustrative panels – one showing a deathbed scene and the other a vase of lilies, both with cockerels perched upon them. Fragments of 14th and 15th century stained glass survive in the east window, including figures and much tracery. Later glass is present in some side windows and the west window. An early 14th-century octagonal font has two-light blank traceried arches, each different, under crocketted gables.