St John's Chapel, Chichester

Image: © A J Paxton Taken: 11 Jun 2016

The chapel was built in 1813, to a rather austere classical design by James Elmes. It retains many of its original features, including a three decker pulpit and a gallery with box pews (not accessible to the public for safety reasons). It closed for public worship in 1973 and now belongs to the Churches Conservation Trust, which has restored it as an arts venue. On the evening this photo was taken, the Rose Consort of Viols was performing renaissance consort music there. See the chapel's website here http://www.stjohnschapelchichester.co.uk/?page_id=2 . St John's was originally a proprietary chapel, one built as a private initiative, but with the intention of holding public Church of England worship there. According to Andrew L Drummond, proprietary chapels flourished during this period "in Belgravia, Bath, and other fashionable resorts. They were extra-parochial [i.e. outside the parish system], and were often run on a commercial basis, supported by pew-rents and sometimes built over wine vaults... An ingratiating preacher, preferably an invalid..., a well-nourished verger, and genteel pew-openers did their best to attract the quality..." (quoted in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprietary_chapel )

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