- Forest Chapel
Forest Chapel stands in an isolated position in the civil parish of
Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough inCheshire ,England within thePeak District National Park convert|4.5|mi|km|0 fromMacclesfield (gbmapping|SJ974722). It is a Grade IIlisted building .cite web |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=58015 |title=Images of England: Forest Chapel |accessdate=2007-09-13 |publisher=English Heritage ] There is a tradition that it is dedicated to St Stephen, but it is not certain that this has been confirmed. It is anAnglican church in thediocese of Chester , the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Macclesfield. Itsbenefice is combined with those ofJenkin Chapel, Saltersford and Holy Trinity, Rainow. [cite web |url= http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/diocesesparishes/infosheets/parish_results.html?parishid=C03033 |title= Information Sheet |accessdate=2008-08-11 |publisher=Church of England ]History
The original chapel was built in 1673. In about 1720 Francis Gastrell,
Bishop of Chester noted that it was not consecrated. The chapel was almost entirely rebuilt in 1834.cite book | last =Richards | first =Raymond | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Old Cheshire Churches | publisher =B. T Batsford | date =1947 | location =London | pages =216–219 ]tructure
It is built in
sandstone with aKerridge stone-slate roof. The nave and chancel are in one range of five bays. On the south wall is a porch. At the west end is a tower with a saddleback roof and there are louvres in the bell-openings. The tower contains one bell.Fittings and furniture
The interior is very plain. On the chancel wall is a white
marble memorial to the memory of Rev Samuel Hall, a former minister of the church. Over the porch doorway is a benefaction board. Built into the east end wall is a stone altar. The east window contains some Victorian glass. The chapel registers begin in 1759 with some loose sheets dating back to 1746.Today
The old tradition of rush-bearing still takes place at the chapel each August. [cite web |url=http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/towns/maccforest.php |title=Peak District Towns and Villages: Macclesfield Forest |accessdate=2007-09-13 |publisher=Cressbrook Multimedia ]
References
External links
* [http://www.thornber.net/cheshire/htmlfiles/maccforest.html Photographs by Craig Thornber]
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