Download Hassop, All Saints - Diocese of Nottingham

All Saints
Bakewell Road, Hassop, Derbyshire
National Grid Reference SK223 723
Statement of Importance
All Saints is a building of exceptional architectural and historic
importance as an early 19th century Catholic Chapel of highly distinctive
classical design which survives almost completely intact. It is also
important for its relationship with neighbouring Hassop Hall, formerly
seat of the recusant Eyre family who built the church.
Part 1: Core data
1.1. Listed grade: I
1.2. Conservation Area: No
1.3. Scheduled Ancient Monument: No
1.4. Churchyard: Yes
1.5. Date(s): 1816-17
1.6. Architect(s): Joseph Ireland, building supervised by J.J. Scoles
1.7. Date of visit: 14 October 2010
1.8. Name of report author: Clare Hartwell
1.9. Name of parish priest and/or contact(s) made on site: Rev Hugh Davoren
1.10. Associated buildings: Presbytery
1.11. Bibliographic references:
Craven & Stanley: The Derbyshire Country House, 2004
Pevsner & Williamson: The Buildings of England: Derbyshire, 2nd ed. 1978
Typescript history dated 1899, Diocesan archives
Nottingham Diocesan Yearbook, 1996
Part 2: The building, its contents and its setting
2.1. Historical background
Hassop is a small village centred on Hassop Hall, which stands in its own grounds
close to the church. The hall was the seat of the Eyre family, Earls of Newburgh.
Francis Eyre succeeded to the title in 1814, and started to make plans for building a
chapel almost immediately. The Eyres were recusants, and there was almost certainly
a chapel in the hall, which was built in the early 17th century and substantially rebuilt
in 1827-33. The architect of the chapel was Joseph Ireland, who worked for an almost
exclusively Roman Catholic clientele and built a number of Catholic churches in
England during the early 19th century. His pupil, J.J. Scoles, who went on to become a
noted architect also specialising in Catholic churches, acted as clerk of works. The
church and presbytery were passed to the Diocese of Nottingham by the family. The
original presbytery was rebuilt during the 1890s. After several changes of ownership
in the 20th century, the hall was made into a hotel, in which use it remains. The
chapel, now All Saints church, has remained in use as a place of worship. The church
was repaired and reordered by Smith & Roper (Bakewell) in the 1980s and 1990s.
The reordering (1995) involved the introduction of a forward altar over an extended
predella (covering part of the marble floor but leaving it intact) and opening up of the
altar rails.
2.2. The building and its principal fittings and furnishings
For a general description, see the listed building description below. The building is
windowless at the east end, and has two very simple unadorned projections on the
north side, one containing a sacristy, the other the stair to the gallery. These appear
to be additions, but that housing the stair is probably a reworking of the original,
perhaps when the presbytery was rebuilt. The stair is of stone, with a wreathed rail,
open string and stick balusters, consistent with an early 19th century date.
The furnishings include a very elaborate Baroque-style altar and reredos brought
from elsewhere. The piece was taken apart at the time of its introduction to the
church and reassembled to form an altar and reredos, flanking pedestals for statues,
and two (partially legible) mural tablets commemorating the Countess of Newburgh
(d. 1853) and her brother. Statues of St Peter and St Paul flanking the altar were the
gift of Lady Anne Newburgh in 1841. They are by J.P. Carew, who was also
responsible for a memorial to Thomas Eyre (d.1833) with a figure of faith and
portrait medallion on the south wall. A modern (1995) forward altar of solid oak has
been placed in front of the earlier altar. The bench seating is of recent date, their
design based on early or original pews which survived in the church.
The stained glass dates mainly from the 1890s. The windows are all very similar in
style and execution, with figures, including a rendition of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna,
in architectural surrounds. According to a typescript history, the Kitchin memorial
window (the Virgin and St Anne) of 1898 was produced by Joshua Clarke of Dublin
(father of the famous stained glass artist Harry Clarke), who probably did all the
windows.
2.3. The church in its setting
Hassop is a small village in rural Derbyshire. Hassop Hall and its grounds form the
nucleus of the settlement. All Saints church stands close to an entrance lodge and
gates of 1853 (listed grade II) to the hall, and the hall (listed grade II*) lies just
beyond. As a group, the buildings represent an important ensemble with close
historical connections central to the character and historic integrity of the settlement.
2.4. Listed status
The church is appropriately listed grade I.
Part 3: Managing the building into its future
3.1. Condition:
Generally good, but there is spalling stonework in places.
3.2. Ancillary facilities:
The attached presbytery has been converted to provide parish facilities.
3.3. Access
Principal access is up steps from the road, but it is also possible to reach the church
from the drive leading to the presbytery by foot or by car.
3.4. To what extent is the building amenable or vulnerable to change?
•
•
As a consequence of remaining in use as a place of worship: The building is
not amenable to significant change without risking loss of historic character
and integrity. However the presbytery and link to the church could be altered
if required, providing that the setting of the building was not harmed. So far
as the interior is concerned, there would be scope for alteration of 20th
century furnishings and reversible reordering. There would also be scope for
removal or alteration of the sacristy, subject to further scrutiny of its origins.
As a consequence of being closed as a place of worship and passing into
alternative secular use: Conversion for an alternative use requiring
alterations affecting the appearance of the exterior or the alteration of the
interior would damage the architectural and historic character of the building.
It is difficult to envisage many alternative uses which would not damage the
integrity of the building.
3.5. Category: 1
Part 4: List description
Building Name: CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS
Parish: HASSOP
District: DERBYSHIRE DALES
County: DERBYSHIRE
Postcode: DE45 1NS
LBS Number: 435752
Grade: I
Date Listed: 12/07/1967
NGR: SK2234472321
Listing Text:
PARISH OF HASSOP BAKEWELL ROAD SK 27 SW
2/146
(North Side)
12.7.67 Church of All Saints
GV I
Roman Catholic Church. 1816-17 by Joseph Ireland for the Eyre family. Supervised by
J J Scoles. Neo-Classical style. A tetrastyle, prostyle temple. Sandstone ashlar. Deeply
overhanging Welsh slate roof, forming a pedimented gable at each end. The west
elevation has a Tuscan Doric portico and a sunk moulded circle containing a cross, in
the pediment. Central doorway with tapering moulded architrave and cornice.
Panelled doors. South elevation of five bays has Grecian windows with tapering
moulded architraves. Blind three-bay east elevation with Tuscan Doric pilasters with
pronounced entasis. Circular motif in the pediment as to west. Late C19 additions to
north not of special interest.
Interior: Coved coffered ceiling. The north, south and east walls are divided by
pilasters. Eared moulded architraves to the windows. Cantilevered west gallery.
Early C19 Hoptonwood baluster font. Late C19 font of plain square bowl on a
cylindrical base with attached angle colonettes. Early C19 chamber organ. Painted
wooden communion rails with sturdy turned balusters.
Monuments: Wall tablet to Thomas Eyre +1833. A neo-classical design by J E Carew
of Brighton. Pair of mid-C19 matching tablets, one to Dorothy, Countess of Newburgh
+1853. Five late C19 stained glass windows, probably by Powell's. Large painting of
Crucifixion, said to be by Lodovico Corracci.
The design of this building is based on St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, by Inigo
Jones.
Listing NGR: SK2234772322