Chapel Plaister

Chapel Plaister
15th-century chapel and hospice
Chapel Plaister is located in Wiltshire
Chapel Plaister
Chapel Plaister
Location within Wiltshire
OS grid referenceST840678
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Wiltshire
51°24′34″N 2°13′53″W / 51.4095°N 2.2313°W / 51.4095; -2.2313

Chapel Plaister /ˈæpəl 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]

  1. ^ "Chapel Plaister, Box". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b Orbach, Julian; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (2021). Wiltshire. The Buildings Of England. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-300-25120-3. OCLC 1201298091.
  3. ^ "Chapel Plaister". www.boxchurch.org. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Chapel Plaister, Bradford Road, Box (1250523)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Chapel Plaister". A Church Near You. The Archbishops' Council. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Bell House, Bradford Road, Box (1285462)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2015.