Chapel Immediately North Of Pythouse

WEST TISBURY PYTHOUSE PARK ST 92 NW 4/308 Chapel immediately north of Pythouse

GV II*

Private chapel to country house. Circa 1827. Built by John Benett of Pythouse (qv) for his wife née Lucy Lambert of Boyton. Ashlar, the rear (east) wall is ashlar-faced brick, and with slate-clad brick vaulted roof with gabled ends. Plan: single cell rectangular plan orientated north-south and with entrance at the centre of the long west front and external steps on the east side down to the burial vault below. Gothick style. Exterior: The salient feature is the large buttresses on all sides and angle buttresses on the corners, all with pinnacles and set-offs (the crocketed pinnacles are missing). 1:3:1 bay west front, the centre bay gabled and with pointed arch niche above doorway, flanked by large pointed arch windows and narrower blind end bays; moulded string above the windows. Similar but blind rear (east) elevation with steps at centre down to vault below. Gable ends have large pointed arch window, that at south end has cill at ground level. All the moulded window dressings and frames have been removed. Interior: Plastered interior walls and 5-bay plastered brick lierne- vaulted ceiling with moulded ribs with bosses at the intersections and springing from shafts on the walls with small capitals. On the east wall the shafts are missing and the two small fireplaces have lost their chimneypieces. The burial vault below has two segmental arcades supporting narrow transverse vaults in ashlar with four tiers of coffin-chambers on either side. Note: It is said that the consecration of the chapel was refused by the Bishop of Salisbury. At the time of inspection (December 1989) the chapel was derelict and overgrown. Sources: N Pevsner, Buildings of England, Wiltshire, pp 356, 357.