Blessed Lady And St Joseph Chapel And House

A Roman Catholic chapel and former priests house, built in 1793 with alterations around 1850. Originally listed as St. Joseph's R.C. Chapel and subsequently amended to Osgodby Penal Days Mass House, it is constructed of red brick with a pantile roof, stone coped gables, kneelers, and brick end and ridge stacks. The building’s original L-shaped plan was extended to a T-shape in 1850.

The chapel facade, which occupies the first floor of the longer wing, is two stories high and features dentillated eaves and five bays. A half-glazed and panelled entrance door is sheltered by a small timber porch topped with a cross. To the left is a plain door with a three-paned overlight, and to the right, a four-panelled door flanked by two glazing bar sashes. All ground floor openings have shallow segmental heads. The first floor features five semi-circular headed openings; the left-hand end is blank, the three central windows have five panes each, and the right-hand end window has glazing bars. The house front has three bays with glazing bar sashes and segmental heads, plus a further bay added in 1850 with two similar windows.

Inside, the staircase leading to the first-floor chapel has fine, thin turned balusters, which are echoed by the gallery balustrade at the rear of the chapel. The gallery has a triple arched opening – the central one fully open, the outer two balustraded – with a pair of reeded Doric columns supporting a low semi-circular arch flanked by reeded pilasters. The 19th-century marble altar table and reredos is surrounded by an altar rail matching the stairs, alongside single doors with Gothick traceried panels and rolled architraves. All windows have panelled reveals, and two contain stained glass dating to 1890, which originated elsewhere. Late 19th-century, plain pews, statue pillars, and statues are also present. The interior of the house itself is plain, but features stair balusters that match those in the chapel.