| Summary : Rotherwas Chapel, a former Roman Catholic chapel, part of a manor house originally belonging to the De La Barre, and later the Bodenham family. Documents record a chapel of ease at Rotherwas in 1304 for nearby Dinedor Church. In 1483 the estate passed from the De La Barres to the Bodenhams, and in the 1580s Sir Roger Bodenham enlarged the house and rebuilt the chapel. Sir Roger converted to Roman Catholicism in 1606, and thereafter the chapel was used for worship by the local Roman Catholics. As Royalists after the Civil War their estate was confiscated, but by 1732 their fortunes had revived enough to enable Sir Charles Bodenham to replace the old house with a grand mansion. The chapel's west tower was built at this time. The outhouses, barn, and stable block also survive. The chapel interior was updated in 1868, when Charles Bodenham commissioned Edward Welby Pugin (son of the architect of the Houses of Parliament) to embellish the chapel. A few years later Charles' widow employed Edward's younger brother to extend the east end. The chapel survived the demolition of the house, and was take into guardianship in 1928.Externally, features from different periods are visible, including the chapel's medieval and Tudor Sandstone core, the Georgian tower, and the Victorian spire and porch. The interior is also an amalgamation of several different periods, with 14th century north nave windows, a Victorian chancel, sanctuary, and south-east chapel. The western three bays of the church form the nave as reconstructed by Sir Roger Bodenham in about 1589, and the year is inscribed on one of the roof beams. The ornamental Elizabethan roof comprises a complex scheme of tie-beams, arched braces, and pendants. The chapel is now in the care of English Heritage. |