Elston Chapel

Elston Chapel stands alone in a field north-east of the village of Elston in Nottinghamshire. Built of rubble stone with plain tile roofs, it looks like a simple barn. The chapel began in the 12th century and was enlarged in the 14th and 16th centuries. A Norman south doorway with zigzag carving survives from the original build. Inside, fragments of 19th-century pine pews and a gallery remain in place. The building was declared redundant in 1976 and is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. The chapel’s architecture shows careful medieval work. The nave has a two-light window with ogee arches on the north side. The chancel’s east end carries a three-light window dated 1577 and topped by a fragment of a cross. Several two-light windows with ogee arches light the south wall of both nave and chancel. On the north wall, a large royal coat of arms is painted above layers of earlier wall paintings. Georgian biblical texts also survive on the plaster. Visitors find a quiet, unaltered medieval interior. The single-light window in the chancel’s projecting bay throws clear light across the stone floor. The Norman south doorway frames a view of the surrounding fields. Inside, the mix of medieval stonework and later painted texts gives a sense of layered history. The chapel’s isolation adds to the feeling of stepping back several centuries.