Chapel At Rickmansworth Masonic School

TQ 09 NE RICKMANSWORTH CHORLEYWOOD ROAD (East side) Rickmansworth

6/127 Chapel at Rickmansworth Masonic School

II

Chapel, forming part of large complex of school buildings. 1928-33 by J.L. Denman as Royal Masonic School for Girls. Plum brick, stone dressings. Pantiled roof. In a Free Byzantine Style. A long rectangle on plan. Symmetrical N and S elevations. Projecting ground floor passage aisles with small round headed windows. Entrance porches at ends, to N with relief ornamented stone architraves, to S to link blocks to other school buildings. 3 nearly full height canted bays rise from the aisles each with 2 tall round headed windows, stone coped battered buttresses and gables. Blind arcading below stone coped parapet. At gable ends to E and W are short projections, slightly lower and narrower than main building. To E a C19 statue of Chevalier Bartholomew Ruspini in a sand- stone niche. Stone coped gable with an ornamental apex. To W, entrance with ornamental relief to architrave below 2 tall round headed windows in a large arched recess. Interior: 6 bay barrel vaulted nave, rendered with wavy scoring. Exposed brick pilaster strip transverse ribs. Double and triple arcades to groin vaulted passage aisles interrupted by the canted bays which are open across aisles. Carved Byzantinate capitals and piers, gilt interlace frieze, frescoes showing scenes from life of Jesus in relieving arches over aisle arcades. Round chancel arch with small arched openings at base. 1 bay chancel with sail vault, triple arcaded passage aisles. Low ashlar screen to chancel with pulpits at ends. Carved timber fittings include seating at W end, reredos, organ case in chancel. Decorative brick paving and stained glass. (Pevsner 1977). The chapel is linked by passages to other school buildings which are not listed.

Listing NGR: TQ0564395478