Berwick Chapel

Berwick Chapel

Chapel, dated 1670, built at the expense of Sir Samuel Jones. The tower was added, part of the south wall rebuilt, and a porch probably added in 1735 for Thomas Powys. A chancel, transepts, and vestry were added in 1892-4 by Mr Walker, at the expense of Mr J Watson. The building is constructed of grey sandstone ashlar with plain tile roofs.

The plan comprises a nave with south porch, west tower, chancel, transepts with west porches, and a north-east vestry. The 1892-4 work is executed in a 17th-century revival style.

The west tower has four stages. It features corner pilaster strips, a chamfered plinth, floor bands, a frieze and cornice to the third stage, and a cornice to a plain parapet with coping and tall urns at the corners. The tower is topped with a pyramidal cap and weathervane. Round-arched openings have plain architraves, cills, impost blocks, and keystones. Louvres light the second stage and belfry. Keyed oculi appear to the north and south of the second stage. Round-arched doorways to the south and west have plain architraves, impost blocks, and keystones. The west doorway contains a formerly-arched late 17th-century door with decorative panelling, probably the former south door. The south doorway is blocked except for a fanlight.

The nave has a chamfered plinth, moulded stone eaves cornice, and parapeted gable ends with moulded copings. The eastern gable, added in 1892-4, has obelisks at its feet and a cross at its apex. On the south side stands a 17th-century double-chamfered rectangular window to the right, minus its mullion and transom, and an 18th-century round-arched window to the left with plain architrave, cill, impost blocks, and keystone. The porch, probably dating to circa 1735, is positioned off-centre to the left. It has a pair of unfluted Doric pilasters supporting short sections of entablature with a triglyph frieze and continuous moulded cornice breaking forward over the pilasters, with a flat lead roof. The round-arched doorway has a moulded architrave, moulded imposts, and keystone. It is now blocked except for a fanlight with 18th-century wrought ironwork. The north side features a raking buttress to the left and a pair of double-chamfered stone cross windows. A small semi-circular window to the right lights a gallery, and a plain oeil-de-boeuf appears beneath it.

The chancel and transepts have chamfered plinths, moulded cill string courses, moulded stone eaves cornices carried around the gable ends as impost mouldings, and parapeted gable ends with moulded copings, obelisks at their feet, and crosses at their apices. The chancel has a round-arched south window of two trefoil-headed lights with a pilastered surround, bracketed cill, and moulded architrave. A large round-arched east window contains three stepped trefoil-headed lights with radial trefoil-ended tracery and a pilastered surround with bracketed cill and moulded architrave. A keyed elliptical oculus sits in the gable. The south transept features a round-arched window of three stepped trefoil-headed lights with radial trefoil-ended tracery, a moulded architrave, and a keyed elliptical oculus in the gable above. A lean-to porch in the angle to the left has a chamfered Tudor-arched boarded door and a two-light double-chamfered window with moulded cill to the west. The north transept has a round-arched window of two trefoil-headed lights with a moulded architrave and a keyed elliptical oculus in the gable above. An integral stone corner stack has a moulded cornice. A chamfered-arched basement door opens from the north transept, and a lean-to porch in the angle to the right has a chamfered-arched boarded door. The vestry has a chamfered-arched boarded basement doorway and a two-light chamfered mullioned window with moulded cill to the east.

Interior

The nave is fitted with 18th-century raised and fielded panelling, a 19th-century moulded cornice, and a plastered barrel-vaulted roof. An 18th-century west gallery rests on two panelled square piers supporting a frieze and cornice with panelled soffit. The gallery front has three bays with raised and fielded panels and panelled dies, topped with a moulded cornice. The seating is raked. A round archway connects the gallery to the ringing chamber. A 19th-century cast-iron spiral staircase in the tower rises to the ringing chamber.

The former south porch features raised and fielded panelling, dated 1700 (?). A former south door in the wall of the house has a moulded round archway and an 18th-century door with eight raised and fielded panels, probably the former door to the porch or tower, with a dated shield above inscribed "16/80". A blocked porch doorway has moulded imposts.

A large 19th-century round chancel arch has a double moulded architrave and panelled jambs with fluted imposts and egg-and-dart ornament. The chancel and south transept are panelled with egg-and-dart ornament to the dentil cornice. The east end is wholly panelled with a continuous cornice; some panels are carved with heraldic devices. Round arches lead to the transepts, with fluted imposts. The barrel-vaulted ceiling comprises moulded ribs with painted shields at intersections.

The fittings date from the late 17th century, early 18th century, and circa 1892-4, many probably by Stevens. A 19th-century wrought-iron altar rail (said to be 18th-century) has ornamental panels, stanchions, and a plain moulded wooden rail. Nineteenth-century choir stalls and wrought-iron lamp fittings are present. A 19th-century organ in the north transept has pilasters supporting sections of entablature. A 19th-century eagle lectern stands in the chancel. A late 17th-century hexagonal wooden pulpit with corner Ionic colonnettes is topped with 19th-century steps and a brass reading desk. Eighteenth-century box pews have raised and fielded panels and H-hinges. A 19th-century octagonal stone font beneath the tower has four marble colonnettes. The rear of the late 17th-century west door has moulded rails, wrought-iron strap hinges, and an old lock.

Two hatchments hang on the wall of the nave, and four hatchments are in the ringing chamber. An 18th-century black and white stone floor covers the nave, with encaustic tiles to the chancel. Nineteenth-century stained glass, mainly in the eastern additions, lights the interior.

Monuments include a tablet to Thomas Jelf Powys Esq. of Berwick (died 28 March 1805) with a sarcophagus, and a tablet to two Powys daughters who died young in 1814 and 1818 by Chantrey, showing a relief of two mourning women in front of a sarcophagus. A free-standing figure of a small child reading a book stands on a circular pedestal. A carved stone shield is set in the north of the nave. A brass plaque on the chancel arch reads: "THIS CHANCEL, VESTRY, PORCHES, AND ORGAN WERE ERECTED BY JAMES WATSON, ESQ, 1892-4".

Historical Context

A chapel stood at Berwick in the 13th century, though its exact location is not known. The present chapel stands in the parkland around Berwick House, near to almshouses also built at the expense of Sir Samuel Jones.