Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight
Within the Castle Walls at Carisbrooke, can be found a wonderful and distinctively different small Chapel. The Chapel is dedicated to Saint Nicholas…. and whilst is has been built on the site of a much older Chapel, the Chapel you see today was only built in 1904.
The Chapels construction is a little unusual. Long, narrow and very tall.
But when you enter please note the mirror on the floor of the nave. Then either, look down into the mirror or up to the heavens, and you will find the incredible painted ceiling…
It was of course not long after the Chapel was dedicated, that the 1st World War began. After the hostilities finished, it must have seemed very appropriate for the residents of the Isle of Wight, who had lost many in the conflict, to see Saint Nicholas adopted as a War Memorial for the Islands dead.
As a War Memorial it is a special location, a very safe location in an equally unique setting.
This Sunday, like every day…..
Please Remember ….
Stay Safe …. Be Kind…. Look After Each Other
7th February
(C) David Oakes 2021
It’s easy to be remotely somewhat critical–it seems like there’s not enough knee room and it’s wanting for seat cushions for old, bony butts–but on the other hand, what a glorious space, and that ceiling work is amazing.
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I think there was ‘just’ sufficient…but tight. The back row are not proper seated pews. Designed as choir stalls…. occupants lean back (nearly standing) with a narrow ledge on which their behinds to relief the pressure from the legs. It is a narrow Chapel and I believe built on the footprint of the very much earlier Castle Chapel. The height does make it seem even narrower.
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it is lovely and I love the floor mirror
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What a fabulous church, David. I love the painted ceiling and the mirror!
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