Chapel Of The Holy Evangelists

A former private chapel of the Acland family, now serving as a chapel of ease within Broadclyst parish. Designed by C R Cockrell to plans of 1838 and executed in 1840-1, the chapel was built by Hooper of Exeter with stone carving undertaken by Samuel Stead of Ludlow. It was constructed in volcanic trap ashlar from Killerton stone with a fishscale slate roof.

The chapel is a single-cell building comprising a nave of four bays and a shallow east apsidal sanctuary. The exterior is distinguished by pyramidally capped buttresses dividing each bay, projecting angle turrets at all four corners, and chamfered arrises with attached shafts topped by stiff-leaf capitals. Above parapet level, each corner turret features three narrow round-headed openings per side, slated pyramidal caps and crocketed finials. A substantial battered wall plinth runs around the entire building.

The west front rises in two stages beneath a gabled end wall. A central round-headed doorway of two orders with cushion capitals, rendered in white stone, projects forward of the lower stage and is itself separately gabled. The recessed lower stage is dominated by a wheel window surrounded by two orders of zig-zag and cable moulding, with a round-headed niche to either side. A small round-headed window sits in the gable wall, crowned by a stone cross at the apex.

The side elevations consist of two stages, with the upper stage recessed. Each bay contains one large round-headed single-light window of two orders. The south side windows are enriched with zig-zag, diamond and bead moulding, whilst the north window surrounds remain unembellished. A corbel table and parapet complete the elevation.

The east apse features two tiers of round-headed openings, each set beneath superordinate arches with pilaster buttresses between them.

The interior spans seven bays beneath a timber barrel vault whose principals descend well down the side walls, resting on stone cushion corbels flanking the windows and at the capitals of the deeply recessed window arch shafts. These are decorated with a variety of Transitional motifs and internal hood moulds. A corbel table runs below the wall plate, whilst the roof principal corbels rest on shafts that descend to break the cornice of the dado—an arcade of intersecting arches. The entire interior is finished in white stone. Stone flags pave the nave, with geometric designs to the sanctuary floor.

A tall chancel arch of two orders separates the nave from the sanctuary. The apse contains one tier of windows with shafts carried to ground level and a frieze of zig-zag ornament.

The chapel retains a complete and contemporary set of furnishings. Wood seating is arranged in three tiers in collegiate fashion, with stalls at the rear—each under a separate gable, the central one taller and wider with a reading desk. The stalls return at the west end, whilst front benches are open-backed. A stone altar table with Romanesque detailing was designed and made by Arthur Acland-Troyte. The west gallery now serves as an organ gallery. The west window contains bright coloured glass, whilst the side windows feature patterned glass designed by Dean Liddell. The east windows, depicting the Evangelists, date to 1905.

This is an important church built when Cockrell was at the height of his architectural powers. The patron requested that the chapel be modelled on St James at Glastonbury, which Cockrell regarded as the finest building of its date in England. The result is a fairly free but archaeologically rigorous copy of the model, with the major deviation being the inserted west wheel window, designed after Cockrell's consultation with leading figures of the Rundbogenstil. The external detailing remains completely intact, and the chapel is situated within a landscape of mature trees.