ST NICHOLAS’ CHAPEL
The chapel of St. Nicholas in Abbey lane is the most complete of the abbey buildings. It was constructed in around 1220 and is a simple rectangular building (as were all Cistercian gatehouse chapels), but what makes this chapel unique is the use of locally made brick which is perhaps the earliest post-Roman brick in England. The use of moulded bricks are fine examples of this early work and can be seen around the windows. These bricks (then called tiles) were made in the abbey’s own kilns at Tilkey, the name is a corruption of tile kiln and they have a distinctive almost black core. There is a selection of these moulded bricks on display in the museum.
Following the dissolution in 1538 the chapel was used as a barn and eventually fell into serious disrepair. In 1860 the Rev Dampier managed to buy the chapel for the parish and eventually it was restored and reconsecrated. A curate was appointed and St. Nicholas was once again used for services.
When the parish church of St. Peter was hit and badly damaged by a bomb in September 1940, the tiny chapel served the spiritual needs of all Coggeshall’s inhabitants for some time. The work of making St Peter’s safe for use took about 18 months and the church was not completely restored until 1956. To this day, monthly services, as well as baptisms, weddings and even funerals are held in this ancient place of worship. Unfortunately, St. Nicholas’ chapel has to be kept locked.
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There is much more about the history of the chapel in this booklet.
Available from ‘Normans’ sweetshop near the clock and at the chapel itself.
Price £2.50
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Further Reading
There is much more on the Chapel here on the Coggeshall History website; St Nicholas Chapel
Beaumont, G F, ‘A History of Coggeshall in Essex’, Edwin Potter, (1890)
Beaumont, G F, ‘The Remains of Coggeshall Abbey’ in Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society, Vol XV Part 1, (1911)
Cutts Rev E.L., ‘Architectural Account of the Remains of Coggeshall Abbey’ in the Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society Vol I p166, (1860)
Dampier, Rev W J, ‘The Church of St Nicholas, Little Coggeshall’ in the Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society Vol III p48 (1865)
Gardner, J S, ‘Coggeshall Abbey and its Early Brickwork’ in the ‘Journal of the British Archaeological Association’, Third Series Vol XVIII,p19 (1955) A PDF of this document is available here: Gardner Complete
Greig, J , ‘Excursions through Essex’, (1818)
Hewett, C A , ‘English Historic Carpentry’, (1980), 90
Rodwell, WJ, ‘CBA Research Report No.19’ in Historic Churches a wasting asset’, (1977), 103
Watkin, E, ‘The East Window of Saint Nicholas Chapel, Coggeshall’ in Transactions of the EAHS Vol 27 p292
Trevor Disley October 2018