Name: Rotherwas Chapel
Rating: 5.0

Rotherwas Chapel

Rotherwas Chapel, Chapel Rd, Hereford, Herefordshire HR2 6LD, UK

1-99 Years

Website

Contact

Message

Description

Rotherwas was the family chapel of the Roman Catholic Bodenham family. The originally simple medieval building has a fine Elizabethan timber roof, a rebuilt 18th century tower, and striking Victorian interior decoration and furnishings by the Pugins.

For over six centuries, Rotherwas Chapel was an integral part of a sizeable manor house, the seat of the De La Barre and later the Bodenham families. Nearby is the site of successive houses: the medieval half-timbered mansion, its stone-built Tudor extension (with elaborate formal gardens) and its Georgian successor, built in 1732 but itself demolished in 1926 (following the death of the last of the Bodenhams).

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Rotherwas Chapel: For over six centuries, Rotherwas Chapel was an integral part of a sizeable manor house, the seat of the De La Barre and later the Bodenham families. Nearby is the site of successive houses: the medieval half-timbered mansion, its stone-built Tudor extension (with elaborate formal gardens) and its Georgian successor, built in 1732 but itself demolished in 1926 (following the death of the last of the Bodenhams).
Surviving documents record a chapel of ease at Rotherwas, for nearby Dinedor church in 1304.In 1483 the estate passed by marriage from the De La Barre family to the Bodenhams, and in the 1580s Sir Roger Bodenham enlarged the house and rebuilt the chapel. Sir Roger was converted to Roman Catholicism in 1606, apparently following a ‘miraculous’ cure of ‘a gross tumour in the legs’, and thereafter the chapel was used for worship by local Roman Catholics.
As Royalists, the family suffered after the Civil War, and their estate was confiscated. By 1732, however, their fortunes had revived sufficiently to enable Sir Charles Bodenham to replace the old house with a grand mansion. The chapel’s west tower was rebuilt in this period. The outhouses, barn and stable block also survive.
The chapel interior was updated in 1868, when Charles Bodenham commissioned Edward Welby Pugin (the son of AWN Pugin, architect of the Houses of Parliament) to embellish the chapel. A few years later Bodenham’s widow, Irene, employed Edward’s younger brother, Peter Paul Pugin, to extend the east end. Fortunately the chapel survived the demolition of the house, and was taken into the guardianship of the state in 1928.
Description: Externally, features from different periods can still be seen, including the chapel’s medieval and Tudor sandstone core, the Georgian tower, and the Victorian spire and porch.
The interior features the same mixture of parts from different dates, from the 14th-century north nave windows to the Victorian chancel, sanctuary and south-east chapel. The western three bays of the church form the nave as reconstructed by Sir Roger Bodenham in about 1589.
The Pugins’ Designs: The Pugins’ Victorian additions, including the elaborate decoration of the east window, altar, screen and lower walls, are the chapel’s most striking features. The east window has portrait figures of Charles and Irene Bodenham. The apsidal sanctuary has a restored tiled floor and elaborate reredos behind the carved wooden altar.

Facilities

Parking: Parking is available at the HARC, from which the new Hereford Greenway provides a scenic walk to the chapel of approximately half a mile. The staff at HARC will be able to provide details of parking for those who have a disability and limited mobility.
Food & Drinks: HARC provides toilet facilities and light refreshments and nearby Hereford has facilities, shops and food outlets.

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Exterior- any reasonable time
Interior- Collect key from Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre.
The key is available 10am-4pm Tuesday-Friday and every second Saturday.

Address: Rotherwas Chapel, Chapel Rd, Hereford, Herefordshire HR2 6LD, UK

Post Code: HR2 6LD

Council: Herefordshire

County: Herefordshire

Road Access: 1 1⁄2 miles SE of Hereford on B4399, left into Chapel Road.
Bus Access: Yeomans Canyon Travel - service 454. Drop off near petrol station, then 1⁄2 mile walk.
Train Access: Hereford 3 1⁄2 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: Parking is available at the HARC, from which the new Hereford Greenway provides a scenic walk to the chapel of approximately half a mile. The staff at HARC will be able to provide details of parking for those who have a disability and limited mobility.