St Peter’s Chapel, attached to Auckland Castle is rich with history and well worth a visit. On my visit a guide told us about the extensive history of the chapel but sadly a guidebook was not available and searching the internet does not easily reveal its treasures.
The original chapel was destroyed after the Civil War. After the Restoration of the Monarchy, Bishop Cosin rebuilt the castle and turned the banqueting hall into a chapel. It is the largest private chapel in Europe. The side aisles were added by Bishop van Mildert in 1828. In the 1880s, Bishop Lightfoot added the heraldic shields and angels on the roof as well as the tinted stained glass windows and the carved oak reredos on a Frosterley marble plinth.
It is an impressive building with battlements, crocketted pinnacles and large stained glass windows.
Of course a private chapel can be kept in whatever design the owner prefers, and in this case the pale wall colour and the stained glass windows look perfect.
But the doors and the rood screen are extremely dark, especially in a part of Europe that doesn’t have enough natural light for half the year.
Each subsequent Bishop added his own touches and additions to the already existing banqueting hall. There a details in the stained glass windows and some of the dark wood features within the chapel.
I wish there was a guidebook so I could share the details accurately.
Definitely worth a visit, Cherry. Look at that ceiling!
You would love it
Certainly worth a visit – a very impressive building with wonderful ceiling and doors
I really enjoyed my visit, the guide told us lots of interesting information about the chapel.