DOI issue:
No. 174 (September, 1907)
DOI article:Ashbee, Charles R.: The "Norman Chapel" buildings at Broad Campden, in Gloucestershire
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20775#0328
The Norman Chapel Buildings at Broad Campden
upon it, to scrupulously conserve the former while became derelict and was converted to secular use.
adapting it to modern needs, and to bring the Reference to the top drawing on p. 292 will show
latter into harmony with it without in any way the splendid construction of the fourteenth-century
working to a period or falsifying history—the old ceiling. The screen at the end of the room prob-
work is old and the new new. ably represents the remains of a half-timber par-
The history of the old work, as far as it is tition, but as the whole of the upper part of that
ascertainable, is as follows. An early Norman end of the building had fallen it is impossible to
church, possibly of the time of Harold, who held determine its exact purpose.
the manor and from whom it passed to Hugh The drawing on p. 295 shows the curious stone
Lupus, forms the nucleus of the building From staircase which led up to the library. The oaken
this it gets its local traditional name, " the Norman banisters, and also the oaken door—which I have
Chapel." Of this nucleus there remains the south studded with ebony and mother-of-pearl—leading
door. (See illustrations on pp. 290, 291), the into what is now the dining-room, are new.
north or " Devil's Door," an exceedingly interest- Two drawings, one on the bottom of p. 292 and
ing chancel arch, and a large part of the masonry the other on the following page, show from different
in the lower part of the main wing. There is then points the dining-room, which is reached through
a curious, presumably fourteenth-century, doorway this door. Half of this room is old, but the
(see right-hand illustration on p. 291 and left- rest is completely new, for two of the walls
hand illustration on p. 295) in a
portion of the building that is of
later date, but the most interesting
in the whole is the superb four-
teenth-century room (see p. 291)
which I have reconstructed as a
library, in the upper portion of
the original Norman church. It
is evident that there has been a
pre - reformation change from
ecclesiastical to domestic pur-
poses, for the chancel arch was
cut across horizontally by a four-
teenth-century floor, and some
traceried windows and a fireplace
were built into the nave of the
Norman church. I know of no
other case in England where an
early church has been thus beauti-
fully desecrated and turned to
secular use in pre - reformation
times. My own theory as to this,
which it would, however, take me
too long here to elaborate, is that
the whole population, priest and
people together, were wiped out
at the time of the Black Death,
and that some years later when
the fine new church at Chipping
Campden was built a mile or so
away and the Flemish wool mer-
chants settled there with newer
hopes and better prospects, the
old Norman church, which by
tradition is still called the
(< , , „ - „ norman chapel, uroad campden : the flagged terrace
mother church 01 Campden, restoration and additions by c. r. ashbke, architect
.290
upon it, to scrupulously conserve the former while became derelict and was converted to secular use.
adapting it to modern needs, and to bring the Reference to the top drawing on p. 292 will show
latter into harmony with it without in any way the splendid construction of the fourteenth-century
working to a period or falsifying history—the old ceiling. The screen at the end of the room prob-
work is old and the new new. ably represents the remains of a half-timber par-
The history of the old work, as far as it is tition, but as the whole of the upper part of that
ascertainable, is as follows. An early Norman end of the building had fallen it is impossible to
church, possibly of the time of Harold, who held determine its exact purpose.
the manor and from whom it passed to Hugh The drawing on p. 295 shows the curious stone
Lupus, forms the nucleus of the building From staircase which led up to the library. The oaken
this it gets its local traditional name, " the Norman banisters, and also the oaken door—which I have
Chapel." Of this nucleus there remains the south studded with ebony and mother-of-pearl—leading
door. (See illustrations on pp. 290, 291), the into what is now the dining-room, are new.
north or " Devil's Door," an exceedingly interest- Two drawings, one on the bottom of p. 292 and
ing chancel arch, and a large part of the masonry the other on the following page, show from different
in the lower part of the main wing. There is then points the dining-room, which is reached through
a curious, presumably fourteenth-century, doorway this door. Half of this room is old, but the
(see right-hand illustration on p. 291 and left- rest is completely new, for two of the walls
hand illustration on p. 295) in a
portion of the building that is of
later date, but the most interesting
in the whole is the superb four-
teenth-century room (see p. 291)
which I have reconstructed as a
library, in the upper portion of
the original Norman church. It
is evident that there has been a
pre - reformation change from
ecclesiastical to domestic pur-
poses, for the chancel arch was
cut across horizontally by a four-
teenth-century floor, and some
traceried windows and a fireplace
were built into the nave of the
Norman church. I know of no
other case in England where an
early church has been thus beauti-
fully desecrated and turned to
secular use in pre - reformation
times. My own theory as to this,
which it would, however, take me
too long here to elaborate, is that
the whole population, priest and
people together, were wiped out
at the time of the Black Death,
and that some years later when
the fine new church at Chipping
Campden was built a mile or so
away and the Flemish wool mer-
chants settled there with newer
hopes and better prospects, the
old Norman church, which by
tradition is still called the
(< , , „ - „ norman chapel, uroad campden : the flagged terrace
mother church 01 Campden, restoration and additions by c. r. ashbke, architect
.290