MSO12157 - St Leonard's Chapel, Tivington (Building)

A mid 14th Century chapel. It was secularised after the Reformation, with a fireplace inserted and an extension built on the east end in the 16th Century (now Dunkery View, itself extended). It was restored in 1896 and reconsecrated in 1940.

St Leonard's chapel was within recent times used as a storehouse and barn, and after repair, as a school. It possesses a thatched roof supported on moulded oak beams rising behind a moulded wall plate, which appears to be a copy of a still earlier design. During recent restoration the outer jambs of a lancet window were uncovered in the E end of the chapel, and on the S side of the sacrarium a narrow window, hitherto built up, has been reopened, and close beneath it the remains of the piscina were found. The E end and S side of the chapel, and the W doorway are evidently the oldest portions of the building, and may possibly be as early as the C14, but the square-headed windows on the N side must have been inserted quite late in the Perpendicular period. [1] St Leonard's, formerly a manorial chapel, dates mainly from the early C15 although the W doorway may be as early as the C13. It was restored to ecclesiastical use in 1885. [2] The restored St. Leonard's Church is still in use. See AO/62/146/4 for photograph of the west doorway.[3] No change. [4] Chapel - GV II* Anglican chapel. Mid C14, refenestrated mid C15, secularized after Reformation, C16 fireplace inserted in chapel and enlarged at east end, now Dunkery View (qv), 1896 restored and reconsecrated 1940. Red sandstone random rubble, thatched roof half hipped to west. Single cell with cottage abutting east, entered west end. North front: two 2-light trefoil-headed mullions with hoodmoulds flanking lateral stack; west end chamfered pointed arch opening reached by 3 steps, half-glazed C20 door, bell above hung from wooden bracket; south front blocked square headed opening between large raking buttresses, lancet to east. Interior: rendered, blocked east end window and former door connecting cottage. Seven bay arch braced roof largely renewed. Reading desk said to have been made from C18 box pews in Selworthy Church (qv) and mid C19 pews from Milverton Church (qv). The church was restored by the Acland family and the bell is said to have come from their yacht 'Lady of St Kilda'. Prior to restoration, the chapel was used as a school. (Photograph in NMR; Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958; Allen, Churches and Chapels of Exmoor, 1974). Dunkery View - GV II Cottage abutting the Chapel of St Leonard (qv). C16, C19 porch, extended C20. Roughcast over rubble, exposed upper section of rubble stack on north front, thatched roof half hipped east end, double Roman tile addition. Plan: probably single cell originally entered north west corner beside stack now with single storey south-west addition, abutting chapel to west. One and a half storeys, south front gabled dormer first floor, two C20 windows ground floor, entrance through ribbed C19 door with Tudor arch head in porch extended south; east end C20 casement first floor only; north front tiny pointed lancet on chimney breast, square headed opening left, 2-light chamfered mullion window first floor right and C20 window inserted below in earlier door. Interior not seen. [6,7] The buildings were visited in May 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. The received a BAR score of 5 and the house a score of 6. [9] The 2020 MasterMap data shows the building as subdivided between east and west. The eastern end is labelled "St Leonard's Church" and the western end is named "Dunkery View". [11] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [12]