Monday 11 July 2011

Langley Chapel - My World



Langley Chapel,  near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, sits tranquilly all alone in charming countryside. The interior of the chapel is a unique survival of the way Anglican Churches were arranged in the early 17th century, with box pews, a desk for musicians at the back and bench seats around the communion table for use during the sacraments.

The Burnells of nearby Acton Burnell were lords of the manor of Langley, and in 1313 Richard Burnell obtained permission to build a chapel here.


The structure of the present building dates from this time. In 1377, the manor of Langley passed to the Lee family, who fitted out the chapel in about 1546. In 1591 Sir Humphrey Lee, one of the forbears of  General Robert E. Lee,  moved to Langley. He was probably responsible for re-roofing the chapel in 1601. The last regular service was held here in 1871.



Langley Chapel has a simple rectangular plan. It is built of dressed grey sandstone with a stone-tile roof, and has a small weatherboarded bell tower at the west end.




It is the perfect set of early 17th century church fittings that makes Langley significant.

The focus of worship in medieval churches was a raised stone altar set against the east wall. The central celebration was the ‘sacrifice’ of the Mass at the altar by a robed priest speaking in Latin. After the Reformation, however, the emphasis changed to preaching and reading the scriptures in English. Pulpits loomed large, sometimes literally, though at Langley the pulpit was relatively small and movable.








The reading desk on the north side, however, is large, with seats inside and, unusually, a roof. With the replacement in the Church of England of the Catholic mass by the Protestant communion service, a simple communion table replaced the stone altar. (The original communion table at Langley was stolen; the present one is a copy.) Seats were arranged round the table, appropriate for people sharing a meal, as at the Last Supper. The manner of receiving the bread and wine at communion was a matter of theological dispute. At Langley, the furnishings allowed communicants to choose. Puritans could sit, while those who wished to could kneel. The fittings of the chapel were designed to cater for social as well as theological gradations. The largest of the ornate box pews, intended for the Lee family, were placed at the front. Behind these were smaller box pews for farmers and tradespeople, while servants and labourers sat on benches at the back. At the west end is a raised desk for musicians.



Glazed and decorated medieval tiles have been reused on the chancel floor.


There are two Tudor doorways with flat arches and nail-studded doors. If you wish to visit the interior of the chapel, the key is in the door.

The building gradually fell out of church use and was finally abandoned during the nineteenth century.
It began to fall into ruin and in 1914 it was one of the first historic buildings in the country to be rescued by being taken into the care of the state.


Hello to the people over at That's My World


41 comments:

  1. friko this post is like water at the end of a very long and hot day. thankyou. steven

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  2. You are so fortunate to have so much history so close at hand.

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  3. What a beautiful building. Are there weddings or other ceremonies held there today? There's nothing even remotely like that over here.

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  4. We would love to visit. Who knows? Perhaps some day.

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  5. Amazing! The chapel is so well preserved. And there is the connection to Virginia through the name Langley and the Lee family.

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  6. In the US if something is 100 years old we throw a party ;o. You have real, deep history there.

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  7. Old architecture fascinates me, and you have provided such brilliant photos and details as to totally immerse one in the experience of visiting a simple historic monument. How sad, though, that someone was so underhanded as to steal the original communion table.
    This is my favorite part: " If you wish to visit the interior of the chapel, the key is in the door."
    Thanks for the perfect visit!

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  8. What a fascinating story. You covered the history and the architectural features so well. I especially liked the gray sandstone material -- the chapel appears like a shifting rock heaving from earth.

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  9. I was going to comment on the stolen communion table as well - how odd that is!

    Thank you for these lovely photos and a peek into something so wonderful. I find places of worship so inspiring, particularly when they are as simple this. I find it speaks to a sense of purity of purpose.

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  10. The entire place is so beautiful in its simple kind of ornateness. I particularly love the medieval tiles.

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  11. this is a gorgeous church...from the wood work to the masonry...wow...what a cool place...

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  12. I would love to see this in person but since that is unlikely I thank you for posting pictures. I love the history. I live in a city that is only about 150 years old and through there is a very interesting history it does not go back that far.

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  13. I am in awe. The chapel is a wonder! And, you have preserved its memory so well. Almost mysterious. Wonderful entry.
    BlessYourHeart

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  14. Dear Friko - my jaw has finally settled back into a normal position...thank you for the gorgeous interior photos and all the wonderful history of this ancient church.
    I must admit though - it is doubtful if 21st Century parishioners would be comfortable for long in the narrow pews...the local folks must have been very small in stature so many centuries ago. Thank you for taking us on this incredible visit!

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  15. This is so very lovely. Te beauty so timeless. I loathe anything new. Thank you for this little trip.

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  16. These photographs make me immediately wonder what Langley Chapel smells like.

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  17. I am awestruck both by your knowledge and by its timeless beauty. Thank you for sharing such a personal tour.

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  18. It is a beautiful place, and I agree with so many of the earlier comments that it is wonderful to have it to visit and appreciate. Your tour was fabulous!

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  19. Long may it continue to be cared for. Such an important place.

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  20. Oh that floor... those medieval tiles... beautiful
    :-)

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  21. Hi Friko .. beautiful pictures .. and a church I'd love to see - fantastic write up you've given us .. and as Carolina says .. those medieval tiles .. cheers and have a good week .. Hilary

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  22. Hello:
    We have now tried four times to post a comment on the wonderful Langley Chapel, and each time it fails to appear. Here goes again!!

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  23. P.S. At last!! It was just to say that during all of our time in Herefordshire we were completely unaware of this absolute gem, Langley Chapel. Your informative and well illustrated post is more than enough to put it high on our list of places to visit. Here goes again!!

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  24. so much history
    a little bit of mystery
    thanks for sharing

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  25. Fascinating, it would be wonderful to visit, the pictures look amazing!

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  26. I like the vaulted ceiling and the chancery tiles are fascinating. I find box pews quite spooky - I don't know why.

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  27. What a beautifully simple chapel. Love how you've captured the beauty from both inside and out. So much history here.

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  28. Ahhh. The old and preserved. I feel so connected to it, so very much. I am awfully happy it's there, and you have it.

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  29. Friko, the first photo of the chapel under that heavy sky, surrounded by beautiful shades of green, carries such a spirit.

    Your way of introducing us to this ancient place little by little, and then allowing us to use that key to open the door...well, thank you so very much.

    I wonder how you first heard of the chapel. It is so interesting to learn about the physical arrangements of various parts of the chapel, particularly the seating around the table.

    The photo of the tiles is one that I could look at for a long, long time. xo

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  30. I can't help thinking of the life that went on in and around this chapel building. So many years, so many people.

    This was a very informative post as well. I would imagine that the boxed pews would keep parishioners warmer in the winter, but also conceal any misbehaviour from little (or big) children.

    And who would steal a communion table?

    Thanks for this glimpse into your world.

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  31. Fascinating story. I was a docent at Pohick Church here in VA for a couple of years, and that church was built under the auspices of the FFV (first families of VA). George Washington, using his surveying skills, sited the location of the church. During our Civil War, Union soldiers used the church as a stable. They ripped out some of the very old woodwork that dated to the seventeenth century and used it for firewood. We have several old churches here in VA built in the seventeenth century. And, yes Langley is an old name here, it is the headquarters of our CIA. Dianne

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  32. so beautiful
    rich in history
    you have
    outside your doorstep

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  33. You know we Americans can't even BEGIN to wrap our brains around this type of history. I'm proud my building is almost 100 years old - that's pretty much brand new for your Europeans.

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  34. Beautiful, Friko. Thank you. Pity it isn't still being used for its intended purpose. OBTW, we also have boxed pews in some of our oldest churches. Jim

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  35. Splendid tour of a place I might never actually see but have gotten to experience through your words and photos. Thanks, Friko!

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  36. This is perfectly lovely, Friko! An antique chapel standing all alone in the nature with the glory of the past. I'm glad to know this chapel is well preserved. It might be in a state of decay, but adorably so, containing extinguished gloss of that which once sparkled. Thank you for historical and architectural information and your wonderful photography. I especially like the first and the second image. Happy days ahead.

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  37. Perfectly simple and quite perfect .

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  38. erstaunlich, wie alt diese Kapelle ist! Gerne würde ich wissen, welche Stimmung man in ihr fühlt...
    Dir einen sehr guten, friedlichen Abend!
    Renée

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  39. How comfortable you are
    with living history, with this
    marvelous medieval church
    coming up on 700 years of
    standing there. We, here, in
    the states, are still excited about
    cathedrals built in the nineteenth
    century, with cars built in the
    1950's, with music from the
    1960's, reminding us that our
    little lives flicker by in an instant,
    just one fire fly in a sea of them.
    Love your tour, love your heart,
    and your need to share with
    those of us who probably will
    never see that chapel in person.

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  40. I love the setting of the chapel, which your photograph captures so beautifully. Who stole the communion table? Any good story there, or just common variety vandalism? You do, as so many of us have said before, live in a wonderful part of the world. Thank you for sharing it with us!

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  41. I like the simplicity and relative bareness of this chapel, compared to what I see over here. (not mentioning where)

    Most interesting - you are an excellent guide, Friko, providing enough detail to inform without boring. If I were religious I would choose a place like this to worship.

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