The Hanging Chapel

LANGPORT CP THE HILL ST4226 11/118 The Hanging Chapel 17.4.59 GV I

Gateway spanning road with chapel over, latter now Masonic Lodge. C13 origins, mostly C15 work restored in C19. Local lias stone roughly cut and squared, Ham stone dressings; chapel has plain clay tiled roof between coped gables with ball finials. Gateway plain, with chamfered pointed arches to ends of through vault, with one small niche in each side wall of throughway; one buttress on east side; coped parapet all round to encircle walkway. Chapel apparently much restored, the east gable being rebuilt over a 3-light semi- circular arched window with possibly C18 tracery; chapel has angled corner buttresses, and in west wall a moulded pointed arched doorway without label. Extensions on south side of C19/C20, in stone with flat roof. C19 approach stairs in south west corner, with C20 handrail, up to 3-centre arched doorway set in archway wall. On north side, against gateway wall in garden of east Gate (qv) a small storehouse in lias stone, in a C12 style. Interior of chapel not accessible normally. Originally Chantry Chapel of Blessed Virgin Mary, mentioned 1344, became Town Hall 1596-1600, Langport Grammar School 1706-c1790, then an arms store, a Sunday School, and private uses until it was leased as a Masonic Lodge in 1891. Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset No. 273). (VCH, vol III, 1974).

Listing NGR: ST4214226699