Chapel Plaister | |
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15th-century chapel and hospice | |
Location within Wiltshire | |
OS grid reference | ST840678 |
Civil parish | |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Police | Wiltshire |
Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
Ambulance | South Western |
UK Parliament | |
Chapel Plaister /ˈtʃæpəl ˈplɑːstər/ is a hamlet in west Wiltshire, England. It lies on the B3109 road between Corsham and Bradford on Avon, about 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of the village of Box and 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of the town of Corsham.
The settlement takes its name from a small Anglican church which was a roadside refuge for pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury.[1] Founded circa 1235 and rebuilt in 1340 by Richard Plaisted of Castle Combe, it was dependent on the now lost parish church of Hazelbury, about half a mile to the north-west.[2] In the 15th century the whole building was raised, the west porch added, and the nave and transept made two-storeyed; the nave was used as the hospice for travellers, and the chancel for services. Restoration was carried out in 1893[2] and 1999.[3] The building was designated as Grade I listed in 1960.[4] Today the church is within the area of the benefice of Box with Hazelbury and Ditteridge.[5]
The adjacent Bell House, an inn from the 17th century and now a private house, may have incorporated a hostel connected with the chapel.[6]