Chapel Lawn
Encyclopedia
Chapel Lawn is a small village in southwest Shropshire
, England
, located within the Redlake Valley, some three miles south of the small, historic town of Clun
and lying in the civil parish of Clun and Chapel Lawn
.
The village lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
bounded to the north by Bryneddin Wood, an ancient deciduous wood containing extensive plantings of Sessile Oak
. On Caer Caradoc, a 403 metre high hill less than 1 kilometre south of the village, can be found an Iron Age
fort with mounds and ditches well defined and maintained by English Heritage
.
The name is derived from a chapel
attached to Chapel Lawn Farm in the 16th century and "lawn" refers to a grassy clearing in the forest. A school was built in the village in 1856 (Date corrected as per info from the book, The life and death of Chapel Lawn School, published by The Redlake Valley Hall Committee), on the former village green
. It had to close in 1985 due to diminished numbers of children; the nearest primary school is now in Bucknell
.
There is a village hall
in Chapel Lawn for the local rural community, called the Redlake Valley Village Hall. It was built in 1952.
Many public footpaths cross the Redlake Valley enabling walkers to see the features above and an information board at the Village Hall car park, next to the church, displays a map together with local information. Walkers are free to leave their cars at this car park whilst enjoying the local sights. Numerous sheep and cattle graze on the higher fields and walkers are asked to obey the countryside code, closing gates after themselves and keeping dogs under control. A local conservation spot, Hodre Pond, lies along the road to Obley
, some 1.5 km from the village centre and dates back some 400 years. The pond boasts many aquatic species of flora and fauna well worthy of viewing.
of Clun parish, without an adjoining vicarage and resident priest, it was built to save parishioners the long walk to Clun. Built of stone in the style of the period, it displays the typical plain lancets, flat buttresses, and western bell gable with a wide queen post roof. The polygonal apse, which forms the chancel, is unusual. The church became a parish church
in its own right in 1991, part of the benefice of Bucknell and morning services are held on the first and third Sunday of each month.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located within the Redlake Valley, some three miles south of the small, historic town of Clun
Clun
Clun is a small town in Shropshire, England. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town...
and lying in the civil parish of Clun and Chapel Lawn
Clun and Chapel Lawn
Clun and Chapel Lawn is a civil parish which covers a large rural area in the south west of Shropshire, England.At its centre is the small, historic town of Clun. The parish's name is often shortened to simply "Clun"...
.
The village lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
bounded to the north by Bryneddin Wood, an ancient deciduous wood containing extensive plantings of Sessile Oak
Sessile Oak
Quercus petraea , the Sessile Oak, also known as the Durmast Oak, is a species of oak native to most of Europe, and into Anatolia.-Description:...
. On Caer Caradoc, a 403 metre high hill less than 1 kilometre south of the village, can be found an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
fort with mounds and ditches well defined and maintained by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
The name is derived from a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
attached to Chapel Lawn Farm in the 16th century and "lawn" refers to a grassy clearing in the forest. A school was built in the village in 1856 (Date corrected as per info from the book, The life and death of Chapel Lawn School, published by The Redlake Valley Hall Committee), on the former village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
. It had to close in 1985 due to diminished numbers of children; the nearest primary school is now in Bucknell
Bucknell, Shropshire
Bucknell is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The village lies on the River Redlake, within 600 metres of the River Teme and close to the borders with Wales and Herefordshire...
.
There is a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
in Chapel Lawn for the local rural community, called the Redlake Valley Village Hall. It was built in 1952.
Many public footpaths cross the Redlake Valley enabling walkers to see the features above and an information board at the Village Hall car park, next to the church, displays a map together with local information. Walkers are free to leave their cars at this car park whilst enjoying the local sights. Numerous sheep and cattle graze on the higher fields and walkers are asked to obey the countryside code, closing gates after themselves and keeping dogs under control. A local conservation spot, Hodre Pond, lies along the road to Obley
Obley
Obley is a small dispersed village in Shropshire, England. It is located a mile northeast of the village of Chapel Lawn and two miles west of Hopton Castle.The nearest towns are Clun and Powys . The village lies at 269m above sea level....
, some 1.5 km from the village centre and dates back some 400 years. The pond boasts many aquatic species of flora and fauna well worthy of viewing.
Church
St Mary's Church in the centre of Chapel Lawn was designed by Edward Haycock in the lancet style and erected in 1844. It was planned to provide 232 sittings, of which 162 were declared free and unappropriated forever. Originally a Chapel of EaseChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
of Clun parish, without an adjoining vicarage and resident priest, it was built to save parishioners the long walk to Clun. Built of stone in the style of the period, it displays the typical plain lancets, flat buttresses, and western bell gable with a wide queen post roof. The polygonal apse, which forms the chancel, is unusual. The church became a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in its own right in 1991, part of the benefice of Bucknell and morning services are held on the first and third Sunday of each month.