The Castle Chapel,
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, England.
Photo: 24 July 2014.
Source: Own work.
Author: EoRdE6
(Wikimedia Commons)
Alnwick Castle.
Photo: 11 August 2010.
Source: Alnwick Castle - Northumberland
Author: Tim Felce (Airwolfhound)
(Wikimedia Commons)
Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.
Alnwick Castle is a Castle and Country House, in Alnwick, in the English County of Northumberland. It is The Seat of The 12th Duke of Northumberland, and was built following The Norman Conquest.
It has been renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I Listed Building and, as of 2012, received over 800,000 visitors per year, when combined with the adjacent attraction of The Alnwick Garden.
The Manor of Mapledurham was bought in 1490 by Richard Blount of Iver, however, the current house was started by Sir Michael Blount (1530-1610) and has remained in the Blount-Eyston Family to this day.
Building was started around 1585, at the time of The Spanish Armada, in the Classic Elizabethan E-Shape. It includes a Late-18th-Century Chapel, built in The Strawberry Hill Gothic Style, for the Recusant Roman Catholic owners of the house.
Prior to The Catholic Emancipation, the owners would hide Priests in its Priest Holes, some of which were only discovered in the 21st-Century, and the Priests would secretly Celebrate Mass with a makeshift Altar hidden inside a Writing Desk. The Estate covers much of the Village, including Mapledurham Watermill, and part of the Church.
Pencil-Sketch of Zephyrinus's proposed Personal Chapel in Zephyrinus Castle.
Aficionados will, undoubtedly, notice the historical connection with
The Saint Laurence Chapel, Basilica of Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls, Rome.
Inspiration was drawn from the 18 September 2010 photos of
Tango7174, published in Wikimedia Commons.
Chauffeur Perkins is already balking at the notion of polishing
the Choir Stalls with Bees-Wax Polish on a weekly basis.
Staff can be so difficult, don't you know.
Excellent story about two house Catholic. chapels defying time and persecution, thank you Zephyrinus.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the Percy family has historically been largely Catholic, of course the 7th Earl, Thomas Percy executed for leading an uprising and later captured and executed, although the 8th Earl, Henry Percy, was “an unavowed Catholic” (though a supporter of James I). Is that accurate, Dom Zephyrinus?
Fascinating vignette as always, Dom Z.
As always, Thank You, Dante Peregrinus, for your valuable and interesting contributions and Comments.
DeleteIndeed, The Percy Family are a fascinating and well-established part of The English Nobility. It is well worth a visit to their Web-Site at
https://www.alnwickcastle.com/explore/the-history/the-percy-family
Your house chapel design, balky Perkins notwithstanding, is simply celestial. Are the choir stalls shown really from St Paul Outside the Walls? Magnificent.
ReplyDeleteDelighted you approve, Dante Peregrinus, of Zephyrinus's proposed Personal Chapel (see, above).
DeletePerkins (Chauffeur and General Factotum), of course, as always, is the big problem. He's now demanding rubber gloves when polishing the proposed Choir Stalls (see, above). Another added expense !!! Staff can be sooooooo difficult, can't they ?
The Choir Stalls are, indeed, from the Basilica of Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls, Rome.
Yes, Perkins, Perkins, Perkins. Your own personal social employment project to relieve the government of their obligation…
DeleteWell then, my question about the choir stalls being from Saint Paul’s Outside-the-Walls: It makes me regret that I visited there and never perused this Chapel…Amazing how much one can miss as a pilgrim.