Old Mortuary Chapel, Carew

Old Mortuary Chapel is a medieval Grade I listed building[1] in St Mary's churchyard, Carew, Pembrokeshire, Wales.[2]

Old Mortuary Chapel, Carew
The Chapel in St Mary's Churchyard, Carew
Old Mortuary Chapel, Carew
Location in Pembrokeshire
CountryWales
History
Former name(s)St Mary's School House
Founded~14th century
DedicationSt Mary
Architecture
Heritage designationGrade I
Architectural typeChurch (building)
Completed14th-15th century
Specifications
Number of floors2

Structure

The building has two storeys under a slate roof, is oriented east–west, and is built from limestone rubble. It is accessed by external steps. It has a vaulted undercroft.[2][3]

Monument

There is an exterior monument to John Relly, an early Calvinist Methodist leader who died in 1777.[3]

Uses

The undercroft dates from the 14th or 15th century, and may have been an ossiary. In 1625 the building was referred to as a schoolhouse, and was used for this purpose until 1872. In 1833, the school educated 50 pupils, and 70 attended Sunday School. In 1846 it became a national school with up to 116 children until the village school opened in 1872. The building may have been used as a mortuary chapel, and is known by that name. After 1872, the building, which has a large blocked-up window, was used as a committee room, store and as a residence, housing paupers as late as about 1840. The building has been locally known as "The Oratory". Its current use is as a parish meeting room and Sunday School.[2][3] S. Lewis, in 1833, describes the building:[4]

In the churchyard is an ancient building, apparently coeval with the church, which is occasionally used as a parochial school, the master being appointed by the vicar.

References
  1. Cadw. "Old Mortuary Chapel  (Grade I) (5945)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  2. "Coflein: St Mary's Schoolhouse; Charnel House; Carew Cheriton Mortuary Chapel". Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  3. "British Listed Buildings: Old Mortuary Chapel". Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  4. "GENUKI: Carew 1833". Retrieved 17 November 2018.

Further reading
  • R Scourfield, History of St Mary's Church, Carew (1994);
  • W G Spurrell, History of Carew (1921), pp. 44–57, 81–87, 89–94, 103–130
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.