Perched on a cliff overlooking the Derwent Valley is a small chapel. Hidden behind trees and draped in ivy, is a jewel of the Arts & Crafts movement. This private treasure house was dreamt up by Louisa Harris, who didn't like how things were done at the parish church...

#thread

To get to the chapel you need to pick your way up a steep hill. From high above, an oriel window overhangs the path. Below, a horse trough is fed by a natural spring. It’s all very romantic.

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In 1897, Mrs Harris chose Guy Dawber, founder of @CPRE, to design the chapel. Dawber, in turn, chose a glittering array of craftsmen to turn his design into a reality.

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The barrel vault ceiling and decoration is the work of George Bankart. Brambles and red berries wind over the wall-plate. Vines and roses unfurl across the ceiling and tiny birds flit along the plaster expanse.

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Louis Davis, the “last of the Pre-Raphaelites”, created the east window around the theme of water. This was just Davis’s second solo commission after leaving the studio of premier Arts & Crafts glass artist, Christopher Whall.

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Cecil Fabian carved statues to fill niches around the altar. Sadly, these were destroyed by vandals in the 1990s. Fabian left little other work and died in poverty in London.

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Right at the back of the chapel is a small brass plaque dedicated to Vida, Mrs Harris’s dog beloved pet. Mrs Harris, passionate in her care for animals, upon her death, left £1,000 each to @RSPCA_official and @Battersea_

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Earlier this year, students @LinConservation created this incredible 3D tour of the chapel.

We are especially grateful to have this now, to explore churches from home: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=eFSsjc6bcuX

#3Dtour #derbyshire #matlockbath #church

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