Cemetery Mortuary Chapels

CHARD

ST3108 ZEMBARD LANE 756-1/3/157 (North side) 24/07/90 Cemetery Mortuary Chapels

II

Cemetery mortuary chapels. 1858, for Thomas Brown to the designs of James Mountford Allen. Ham Hill stone ashlar. Welsh slate roofs with moulded coping and finials to gable ends. Pair of mortuary chapels, connected by integral carriageway and porches. Church of England chapel to north and Non-conformist chapel on south, the latter now used as gardener's store. Decorated style. The west front: chapel gable ends flanking left and right with large 3-light geometric traceried windows, central moulded 2-centred arch carriageway, to right and left of which are two 2-light depressed 2-centred arch traceried windows to the porches; parapet above raised over carriageway arch with wrought-iron finial. Similar 3-light east windows to chapels with geometric tracery. 3-bay north and south sides with smaller 2-light geometric tracery windows with buttresses between and angle buttresses on corners with weathered set-offs and gabled. The windows have hoodmoulds with headstops and the west windows have nook-shafts. Moulded plinth and string. the third bay of the inner sides of the chapels is occupied by the porches entered from the carriageway. INTERIOR: both chapels have plastered walls and good 3-bay hammerbeam roofs with moulded arched braces and carved stone angel corbels. Benches with traceried fronts and poppyhead ends to reading desks. Diamond-leaded pane windows with clear glass and stanchion bars. HISTORY: The 4-acre cemetery was formed in 1857 at a cost of »3000; it contains monuments to James Gillingham, inventor of artificial limbs, died 1924, and John Stringfellow, inventor of the first engine-driven aeroplane. (Kelly's Directory, Somersetshire: 1894-; Brooks C: Mortal Remains: Exeter: 1989-: P.129-30).

Listing NGR: ST3198608942