Features To Look for
When You Visit
Situated in the High Street at the centre of the market town of Warminster the chapel is an oasis of calm in the midst of the traffic and commerce.
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The chapel forms part of the Blue Plaque Trail in Warminster and is opened every day, to enable the community to take the opportunity to drop in and sit in quiet contemplation.
The tower is the oldest part of the chapel, dating back to the 13th century and is accessed by an anti-clockwise spiral staircase.
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After almost 700 years of usage take care of the warn steps.
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The Tower
Access to the tower is limited, but can be accessed on Warminster Heritage Days, or by prior arrangement with the Chair.
Photo by Douglas Hay
The Tillium Rudd Clock
On the way up you pass the clock room which houses a wrought iron clock built by Tillium Rudd in 1765. This was paid for by public subscription at a cost of £30.9 .0. (This replaces an even older clock highlight in documents from 1694). The clock has not face. When is was installed the front of the Chapel was obscured from the High Street by a row of cottages (Since demolished in the 1850's). The clock was originally wind by hand. In 2005 an electric winding mechanism was fitted
Photo by Douglas Hay
The Curfew Bell
Climbing higher you reach the Belfry, which houses the curfew bell, cast by John Lott in 1657. His foundry was just over the road in The Close. It weighs approximately 16.5 cwt (838 kilos) and measures 453 ⁄8 inches (123 cm) across the mouth. It is made of bronze and tuned to the note E. The bell was freshly hung in 1783 at a cost of £24 15s 9d. Residents are grateful it does not sound at 4 am which was the original 'wake up' time!
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History of the Bell founder: Click here
Photo by Douglas Hay
Rooftop View
From the roof a spectacular view of the town can be seen and a series of photographs, exhibited in the chapel, show this panoramic view. In 1897 the spire was struck by lightening and considerable damage caused. Significant work undertake in the mid 1990's onwards. This included repairs to the oak roof frame, new lead work and stonework (The Crenelations were in a very poor state of repair and needed stainless steel pins installed along with replacement gargoyles).
Photo by Douglas Hay
The Scudamore Organ
Inside the chapel there is a Grade 1 Listed Scudamore Organ, built in 1860 by Nelson Hall, an organ maker of the town, to a design by the vicar of Upton Scudamore the Rev John Baron MA.
Photo by Douglas Hay
Our Feoffees
At the West End there are the boards recording the names of the Feoffees since it was donated to the townsfolk right up to the current time.
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Meet the Feoffees: Click here
Photo by Douglas Hay
Stained Glass Window
Dating from 1855, the window in the north celebrates Easter, the new south window funded by the Friends at a cost of £9219.60 was made and installed by Salisbury Cathedral Glass in 2014. This replaced a plain one which had suffered from bomb damage in 1944 from damage in the war.
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Salisbury Cathedral Glass: Click here
Photo by Douglas Hay
Matthew Burt Chair
The rather unusual chair to the north by the altar was donated by the late Geoffrey Butcher as the original was stolen! This chair was made by Matthew Burt of Sherrington.
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Matthew Burt website: Click here
Photo by Douglas Hay
Don't Forget to Look Up!
A visitors book is always open to record your visit. It’s wonderful to see where you have visited from so please leave a comment if you visit, and if you would like a prayer said for a loved one, then fill in a prayer slip and "post " it in the prayer box.
Before you go, as you walk out through the door, look up to view the ‘horrific’ gargoyles sneering down at you enough to frighten even the devils they were protecting the worshiper from!
Photo by Douglas Hay
A Focal Point for the Town
The chapel acts as a focal point for many activities in the town, including the Cross raised on the front lawn at Easter and the Field of Remembrance in November.
In 1997 with the tragic death of Princess Diana people laid flowers in the garden, a Liverpool scarf was laid by someone to commemorate the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, from 2009 until 2012 the chapel housed Condolence Books for the 13 locally based soldiers who died helping others on foreign soil, and more recently flowers were laid by the local community to pay their respect for our Late Queen, Elizabeth II on her death in 2022.
