Chapel And Attached Ancillary Areas At Taunton Deane Crematorium

ST 2024 TAUNTON, FORMER MB WELLINGTON NEW ROAD

744/13/10008 Chapel and attached ancillary areas at Taunton Deane Crematorium

GV II

Chapel and attached ancillary spaces. 1963. Potter and Hare. Local random rubble stone in white, grey and brown; copper-covered low pitched roof to chapel and flat felted roofs to ancillary areas. Tower partly clad in thin stone slabs and partly precast concrete panels. Aisleless chapel with north end slightly canted outwards to a point and catafalque set in apsidal recess at south end. Entrance hall to east and offices, crematory and ancillary areas to east and south. Chapel opens on to semi-enclosed garden with covered area on south side. Tall chapel with north and south walls of stone, each canted out to a point and with the pitched roof canting outward above these points. Semi-circular wall of chambers containing catafalque is visible above single storey ancillary areas to south and east. East wall of chapel is rendered and west wall is fully glazed to the garden, with five facetted composition pilotis rising full height between 2-light glazed panels. Narrow horizontal ventilting windows form transom-like division at single storey level. Asymmetrical folded timber ceiling emerges outside the glazing on east and west sides, and glazing rises to points between pilotis. Crematory rises above single storey areas and from it rises rectangular tower, containing chimney flue. Chapel has exposed random uncoursed rubble stone to north and south walls. At south end a canted and pointed aperture lined with the same stone leads into the room with the catafalque. North wall has vertical floor to ceiling strip windows with stained glass in muted greens and blues, deeply recessed (both internally and externally) and unusually set in rough textured aluminium boxes of various sizes instead of lead. The stained glass is by sculptor Geoffrey Clarke, who also designed the altar cross and candlesticks, in rough textured, cast alumimium. Facetted slatted timber ceiling, painted. Original black metal light fittings in clusters. A beautifully detailed and crafted crematorium building which combines local materials with a modern idiom and contains works of decorative art of considerable merit. Part of group with the circular Memorial Chapel to the east (qv).

Listing NGR: ST2062824007