Rug Chapel, Clawdd Poncen (North Wales)
Small private chapel built for Colonel William Salusbury in 1637.
Summary
- 17th century buildings
- Gift shop
- Information provided
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Food and Drinks
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Introduction
Small private chapel built for Colonel William Salusbury in 1637. Fine seventeenth-century interior fittings. Set in delightful grounds.
History to the present day
Rug Chapel is located with Llangar Church in beautiful countryside to the west of Corwen. It is a rare example of a private 17th century chapel, and is even more significant for the fact that it has been little altered. It was founded by 'Old Blue Stockings' Colonel William Salusbury who collaborated with Bishop William Morgan, famous for being the first to translate the Bible into Welsh.
The chapel's exterior is austere and gives little hint of the elaborate interior, built to please the Colonel's 'High Church' religious sensibilities. A rood screen was designed to separate clergy from congregation. The worshippers could enjoy carved wooden angels and an elaborate roof decorated from end to end. Every part of the chapel was touched by the artist’s hand including the beams, alter rails, family pews, painted gallery and bench ends. In stark contrast, a morbid wall painting of a recumbent skeleton serves as a reminder of mortality.
Influential architect Sir Edwin Lutyens wrote that the little chapel influenced his work, including the Viceroy's House in New Delhi, built 1912-30.
Arrival information and how to find us
Address: Rug Chapel, North Wales, , United Kingdom
Opening times:
01.11.09 - 26.03.10: Closed
27.03.10 - 31.10.10: 10.00 - 17.00, closed Mondays and Tuesdays but open Bank Holiday Mondays.
01.11.10 - 31.03.11: Closed
Admission prices:
Adult: £3.60
Concession: £3.20
Family: £10.40 (joint ticket with Llangar Church).
Entry is free for Welsh residents aged 60 and over or 16 and under who have a valid pass.
Photographs courtesy of CADW photographic library.
