The only daylight external I got was on my phone.
Bit of a small one for me here, but it is something different and an unusual piece of history. It demonstrates that sometimes, patience can pay off with finally getting to see inside that place you've been curious about for years. I caught it slightly late when works had begun, but I'm lucky to have passed it at the perfect time to see inside it in the first place. If you know me, you'll know I love a bit of Essex local history, especially of the slightly bizarre kind that only could've emerged from this marshy and once-isolated corner of the globe.
The sad thing is of course is that many buildings associated with this old era of the county are now lost, and many of those left have been modified. Well this gem sat here largely unchanged since it was built in 1867 (or 1897 as sources differ). I first noticed it whilst driving past in 2021 and was quite fascinated by the fact it both looked like it had been abandoned and its history. I visited again in 2022 to shoot some night photograph of it from the outside, being unable to find a way inside. Each time I said to myself, if I ever see a window of opportunity to see inside, I'm bloody well taking it.
This humble little chapel in Tillingham, on the once mosquito-infested Dengie Peninsula of the Essex coastline, was built for the Peculiar People. This oddly named bunch were a strict Puritan group founded in Rochford in 1838, and this religious trend spread through Victorian Essex. They attended day-long services on Sundays which often involved prayer and hymns in strict fashion, complete with plain dress and sobriety. It is one of the few surviving chapels of the 43 once built, and sat derelict until recent conversion works began. It is thought that only one other chapel at Steeple, built in 1877, survives architecturally complete. It apparently fell out of use in 2005.
The chapel in 1975
So fast forward to 2024. There I am taking a drive to Bradwell for a coastal walk to appreciate this early taste of spring we are having. I thought to myself that maybe the chapel would be worth a quick drive-by peek. Well I forgot by the time I was driving until I realised I was already passing through the village. At that moment, I looked out the window to see the chapel undergoing works. If there was ever a window of opportunity, it was this. An active medical centre next door and its position in the middle of a one-road village was going to make it fairly awkward, so we went for our original walk along the coast, waited it out in the pub for a bit, then seized our opportunity. The flooring had been ripped out which was a shame, meaning it somewhat resembled the Somme inside. Yes, I was a bit late to see it in its fully intact decayed state, but it was incredibly lucky I happened to even drive past this isolated place at this stage in its conversion which made it accessible. Sadly, I didn't have a tripod, which was the trade-off for waiting it out till dusk when it was quieter. I had to make do with some extremely bait flash photography and a quick long exposure resting on a ladder, but these methods did actually do the job. I just wanted to get a photograph of the interior in some form before this Essex history went unrecorded. Hopefully it's being converted and not demolished.
Long exposures I took of the chapel at night in 2022 whilst it was sitting derelict.
The rear during conversion in 2024.
The one long exposure I took inside, resting my bag on a ladder.
That's all folks
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so floor is good 
