1. The History
A church was recorded on the site in the Doomsday survey of 1086; however, the present Chapel is believed to have been a complete rebuilt from the early 1500's, may be just before the Reformation, around 1520-1530. Until a new parish church was built at the other end of Brackenfield in 1856, Trinity Chapel was the main place of worship for the village. Gladwyn Turbutt, writing about the history of the nearby village of Ogston stated "It is not unlikely that Hugh Willoughby, Sergeant at Arms to Henry VIII, rebuilt Trinity Chapel as a memorial to his wife Margaret, who died in 1511." The chapel came under the jurisdiction of the rectors of Morton. It had the rights of baptism and marriage, but not of burial, explaining the lack of gravestones surrounding it. Folklore says a stranger who was found dead by the wayside nearby is buried in the chapel enclosure.
There were two peculiar customs of the Chapel. The first was that the women all sat on the North side of the Chapel and all the men on the South side, except in the chancel where there was no such separation. Secondly, on Trinity Sunday people flocked to the Chapel in great numbers and not only was it overcrowded, but the hillside as well. Records of the Archdeacon Butler's visit on 16th July, 1823, state the Chapel had accommodation for about 100 people and was attended by a congregation of 50. However, in 1841 the Reverend Lund of Morton wrote "Trinity Chapel is almost deserted; frequently there are no worshippers at all”.
Even in 17th century the location of the chapel was considered inconvenient and there were calls for a new church nearer the centre of the village. However, this did not happen for another two hundred years, until Gladwin Turbutt, the last Victorian squire in Derbyshire, donated the site for a new parish church. The chapel was finally abandoned in 1857 following the investiture of the new Brackenfield Church. The building was granted Grade II listed on the 31st January 1967.
2. The Explore
Another little archive report. A little gem this abandoned chapel and one of Derbyshire’s best kept secrets, I'd been meaning to go for a while. It’s tucked away in a wood outside of Brackenfield to the west of Ogston reservoir. It’s very, very bijou and that plus its location mean it’s definitely worth a visit. Think this is the first time this place has appeared on here. The chapel is beautifully constructed of solid gritstone blocks. It’s roofless, derelict and covered in moss. Worthy of half an hour of your time if you are in the area.
3. The Pictures
by HughieDW, on Flickr
A church was recorded on the site in the Doomsday survey of 1086; however, the present Chapel is believed to have been a complete rebuilt from the early 1500's, may be just before the Reformation, around 1520-1530. Until a new parish church was built at the other end of Brackenfield in 1856, Trinity Chapel was the main place of worship for the village. Gladwyn Turbutt, writing about the history of the nearby village of Ogston stated "It is not unlikely that Hugh Willoughby, Sergeant at Arms to Henry VIII, rebuilt Trinity Chapel as a memorial to his wife Margaret, who died in 1511." The chapel came under the jurisdiction of the rectors of Morton. It had the rights of baptism and marriage, but not of burial, explaining the lack of gravestones surrounding it. Folklore says a stranger who was found dead by the wayside nearby is buried in the chapel enclosure.
There were two peculiar customs of the Chapel. The first was that the women all sat on the North side of the Chapel and all the men on the South side, except in the chancel where there was no such separation. Secondly, on Trinity Sunday people flocked to the Chapel in great numbers and not only was it overcrowded, but the hillside as well. Records of the Archdeacon Butler's visit on 16th July, 1823, state the Chapel had accommodation for about 100 people and was attended by a congregation of 50. However, in 1841 the Reverend Lund of Morton wrote "Trinity Chapel is almost deserted; frequently there are no worshippers at all”.
Even in 17th century the location of the chapel was considered inconvenient and there were calls for a new church nearer the centre of the village. However, this did not happen for another two hundred years, until Gladwin Turbutt, the last Victorian squire in Derbyshire, donated the site for a new parish church. The chapel was finally abandoned in 1857 following the investiture of the new Brackenfield Church. The building was granted Grade II listed on the 31st January 1967.
2. The Explore
Another little archive report. A little gem this abandoned chapel and one of Derbyshire’s best kept secrets, I'd been meaning to go for a while. It’s tucked away in a wood outside of Brackenfield to the west of Ogston reservoir. It’s very, very bijou and that plus its location mean it’s definitely worth a visit. Think this is the first time this place has appeared on here. The chapel is beautifully constructed of solid gritstone blocks. It’s roofless, derelict and covered in moss. Worthy of half an hour of your time if you are in the area.
3. The Pictures
by HughieDW, on Flickr
