Heath Chapel

Heath Chapel

Church dating from the 12th century with alterations in the late 17th century, repairs around 1870, and restoration in 1912. The building is constructed of grey stone rubble with golden sandstone dressings and plain tile roofs. It comprises a chancel and nave only.

Exterior

The chancel and nave are articulated by flat shallow buttresses at all corners and at the mid-point of each wall. A continuous string course with chamfered top runs around the building, interrupted only by the south doorway and north window. One small slit window is positioned in each wall, sitting on the string course. The east and west windows pierce their respective buttresses. All windows have round heads and deep internal splays, except the chancel south wall window which has a flat lintel. All windows are lattice- or square-leaded.

The west gable end contains two small windows within the gable apex and a flat-headed bell-opening slit between them. An additional north window to the nave, with oak chamfered mullioned frame, dates from around 1700.

The south doorway is a 12th-century round-headed opening of two orders. The hoodmould and outer order of the arch are carved with chevron design, while the inner order bears roll moulding. The tympanum is plain. The abaci are plain with chamfered undersides, and crude flat scroll capitals, now mostly eroded, sit above. The shafts and bases were restored in the 19th century in grey stone. The door is cross-boarded and retains medieval iron hinges.

Interior

The chancel contains a medieval two-bay roof of three trusses. The roof is of single chamfered tenoned purlin construction with no ridge piece, straight wind braces below the purlin (one missing), rafters halved over at the apex, and ashlaring at the wall plate. The two trusses to the east have diminished principals with open-ended mortice at the cut-back of the principal. The tie beam is cambered and chamfered with stepped stop-chamfer, and twin raking struts support it.

A 17th-century turned communion rail surrounds the altar. A reset medieval grave slab with raised cross is preserved within. A reused medieval rood screen forms framing for benches and box pews against the north wall.

The chancel arch is double rebated and round-headed with two orders of shafts facing the nave. On the north side the capitals comprise a simple cushion and a scallop with incised volutes. The south capitals consist of a cushion with chevron under-mouldings and a cushion with pointed convex under-moulding. A simple under-chamfered hoodmould surrounds the arch recesses. The abaci are plain and under-chamfered, continuing as a string course around the complete interior of the chapel.

The nave contains a medieval three-bay roof of four trusses, probably remodelled in the 17th century. The roof is of single trenched purlin construction with a trench purlin addition to the north pitch only. The 19th-century restored rafters, ridge and wall plate sit above trusses with steep but unevenly cambered tie beams, twin raking struts, diminishing principals, a wall post with chamfered projection and base stop, and a small swept chamfered wall brace.

Medieval wall paintings are partly visible on the nave walls. The south wall bears a medieval depiction of St George, while the north wall shows a depiction of a lion. Late 16th-century religious texts appear below the string course on both the north and south walls of the nave and chancel.

The chapel contains a cylindrical tub font of the 12th century, five 17th-century box pews, and a two-decker pulpit.

Heath Chapel is nationally remarkable for having remained substantially unaltered in use, status, size and style throughout its history.