Learning Resources

HISTORYChichester was a Roman settlement.There are few remains of the Roman town,but the central street layout from thisperiod, dividing the town into quadrantscan still be seen.Themedieval city of Chichester grew

rapidly, and its boundaries were extendedtowards the end of the 18th century. By1800 themedieval town had been almostentirely rebuilt. The 18th century wasa time of expansion and rebuilding inChichester, andmuch of the centre todayretains the character of theGeorgianperiod, particularly in the area aroundSt John’s Chapel, in the south-eastquarter. This quarter includes the areaknown as the Pallants, and is also dividedinto four parts by two intersecting streetscalledNorth, South, East andWest Pallant.In this part of the city was themedieval

foundation of the Black Friars.When theFriars were dissolved under Henry VIII in1538, the land passed to a series of ownersuntil the 19th century when it was dividedup and sold as building plots to satisfy theneeds of a growing population.This growing populationwas themain

reason for the building of St John’s Chapel.Throughout the 18th century there hadbeen various plans for providingmoreplaces of worship in Chichester, includingthe proposal to demolish the five existingmedieval churches and replace themwithone large newone. This unpopular planwas dropped, in favour of building a newchurch in the area then known asNewTown. The newchurchwas to be ‘extra-

parochial’, that is, without a parish of itsown, but situated in another.The site chosenwas on land formerly

occupied by the Black Friars, and it is saidthat the chapel was built on the site of theFriars’ church. AnAct of Parliamentwasneeded to establish a new churchwithinthe city walls, and this was passed in 1812.Twelve trustees of the chapel wereappointed by the Act, each donating theconsiderable sumof aminimumof £100.On 25thMay 1812, the trustees and theMayor andCorporation of the city laidthe foundation stone of the chapel.The architect chosen towork on the

chapel was a localman fromOving, JamesElmes. He described the building as ‘anoctangular edifice, 80ft long by 50ftbroad, built entirely of brick, with timberroofs coveredwith slates.’ St John’s

Chapel was finally consecrated forworship in September 1813.At first St John’s Chapel flourished.

It was recorded, in 1853, as having acongregation of between 500 and600,and it was the first church in Chichesterto hold an evening service aswell as amorning one on Sundays. Therewas aregular Sunday School, with around 80children attending, and lectureswereheld on Thursday evenings.The chapel continued in use through

most of the 20th century, in 1955 beingunited under oneminister with the churchof St Pancras. However, congregationscontinued to fall. In 1976 St John’s wasclosed for public worship, andresponsibility for its care passed to theRedundant Churches Fund, nowTheChurchesConservation Trust.

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Learning resourcesCURRICULUMRELEVANCESt John’s Chapel is probably very different fromother churcheswithwhich your studentsmaybe familiar. Its plain style and design reflect theway inwhich it was used, andmake the chapel aninteresting introduction to looking at different approaches toworship, both in Christianity and inother faiths, so a visit to the chapel will support an RE programmeof study. Ideas for comparisonsand further work are given in theWebsites and resources section below. The chapel and itsimmediate surroundings are also a good focus for investigating architectural styles and life in18th and 19th-century Chichester for students at Key Stage 2 and 3 studying local history topics,and the chapel provides a starting point for various research, writing and presentation tasks.

Thismap (EdwardFuller, 1820) shows thepart of Chichester knownas the Pallants. St John’s Chapelis at the bottom left,marked 10.

WHATTOSEEOutsideThe chapel is built fromwhite brick, nowpartly coveredwith cement, with a slateroof. The brick façade is broken by ahorizontal line of stonework above thedoor. The outside of the chapel is, at firstsight, unadorned, and certainly differentfromother older churches in Chichester.However it is not as plain as it first appears.The architect paid great attention toproportion and detail, and there is a lot tolook at. The details of the chapel reflectthe interest shown in classical buildingsfromAncientGreece and Rome in thelate 18th and early 19th centuries. It waspopular for an architect, both of housesand public buildings, to incorporateseveral classical features into the design.

Things to look for�Classical features to be seen atSt John’s include the pilasters (semi-columns) either side of themain door.

�The front of the building is decoratedby an overhanging cornice supportedbywooden brackets, topped by apediment (another classical feature).

Above the pediment is a bell tower, orcampanile, surrounded byCorinthian-style columns, andmodelled on afamous example in Athens.

The large round-toppedwindow, set instoneworkwith a decorative balustrade.

�Wrought iron boot scrapers were placedby each side door, and possibly by themain door, although only one remains.

�The remains of the tall iron-spikedfence, originally with two pairs of double

gates. Thesewere removed duringthe SecondWorldWar as part of thecollection of scrapmetal forarmaments.

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InsideThe interior of the building reflects howthe churchwas used. It remains almostunchanged since it first opened. InmanyAnglican churches in the early 19thcentury, the act of Holy Communionwasnot themost important part of the service.The preaching of theWord ofGodwas themost important aspect of worship inchurches of a lower Anglican tradition. Thismeans that rather than the altar being thefocal point of the church, the pulpit wasthemajor place of interest. In St John’sChapel, the pulpit almost completely hidesthe simple altar.The layout of the chapel gives a glimpse

into the divisions of society in early 19th-

century Chichester. Themain entranceon the ground floor leads directly into thecentre of the chapel, where the pews in thebody of the buildingwere reserved for thepoor. These 250 seats were free of anyrent. The pews are not the original ones,as the ground floor pewswere replaced in1879, at the expense of a local benefactor.An early photograph shows that theoriginal free seats for the poorwereopen-backed andwould probably havebeen very uncomfortable. A plaquecommemorating these changes is setabove themain door inside the churchThe two side entrances, at an angle to

either side of themain door, each leadsinto a small entrance hall. A staircase leads

fromeach hall, up into the gallery to thepewswhichwere available for rent by thegentry of Chichester. Pew rents were amajor source of income formanychurches, including St John’s where theyprovided between £200 and £300peryear formost of the 19th century. Thesefees paid for theminister’s salary andother costs. In the gallery (only open to thepublic on certain occasions) the originalearly 19th-century box pews remain.On the ground floor therewere

additional pews to rent in the side aisles,again only accessible from the sideentrances to keep the gentry quiteseparate from the poor. Originally thesewould all have faced into the centre of the

chapel, butmost were re-aligned in 1879,to face the pulpit.The chapel was lit by gas lamps, first

installed in 1836, and remains of thefittings can still be seen. This lightingwascontrolled by a pneumatic system,activated by twoplungers towards theback of the chapel on the ground floor(one each side). Thesewere pressed tolight all the lamps at once. Ventilationwasvia vents in the ceiling rose, but this wasnot very effective. Originally the chapelwas heated by a systemof underfloorheating, carried from two stoves, oneunder each staircase. This was latersupplemented by gas stoves, paid for byvarious benefactors.

Things to look for� The altar is a simple table, surroundedby a plain wooden rail. This emphasisesthe point that the act of HolyCommunionwas a less importantaspect of the service.�

� Behind the altar are four panels,containing the Lord’s Prayer, theCommandments and theCreed. Beloware four square panels containing textsfrom theBible: Corinthians x 16;Proverbs xxii 2 andMatthew xi 28.�

� The pulpit is a three-decker pulpit,arranged north to south across thechapel rather than east towest as ismore usual. Itmay have been re-alignedat some stage. Its prominent positionshows the importance of preaching.

� The pulpit is decorated in a simplestyle, but the undersidewas ornatelycarved.�

� The clock, set into the gallery, enabledtheminister to check that hewas givinghis congregation the benefit of a fullhour’s sermon.�

� Box pews (when there is access to thegallery) and their labels showingwhopaid the rent, andwhich are stillavailable to rent. Also you can see thepegs onwhich gentlemen could hangtheir hats.� �

� Narrowbenches around the back ofthe gallery were for the servant of thegentry, accompanying theirmastersto church. According to the accountbooks, at some stage simple rushmattingwas fixed to thewall behind the

benches,maybe to protect clothing, or forcomfort, or even to protect the building.No trace of thematting remains.

� At the corners of the gallery pews, thepillars which supported the gas lampsstill remain.

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This plan of the chapel shows the original layout of the ground floor. Give a copy to yourstudents, andask them to note the differences between the plan and the layout today.Can they estimate howmanypeople could be seated in themain body of the chapel then?Howmany canbe seated now?

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ThepulpitThe pulpit, known as a three-decker, had three separatesections. The lower deskwasfor the parish clerk. Hewas notusually ordained, and his rolewas to lead the responses and to intone the psalms. This rolereflected the low levels of literacy in the 19th century;manyof the congregationwould have been unable to read.Theminister led the service from the second level, known as

the reading desk. The third level was used by theminister whenpreaching his sermon, which usually lasted for one hour. It wasas important that the congregation could see and hear theminister, and that he could keep an eye on his congregation.

In some churches therewas a sounding board above thepulpit to ensure that everyone could hear properly, but atSt John’s the acoustics are good, so therewas no need for this.Therewere originally two built-in candlesticks to light the pulpitat evening services, but these no longer remain.

LEARNINGACTIVITIESBefore your visitTalk to your group about places of worship.Do any of your students attend a church,synagogue ormosque? If they do, askthem to describe the inside the place theyare familiar with, and perhaps to explain alittle about the activities that take place

there. Theymight be able to identify threeor four things that theywould expect tofind in a place of worship. For a Christianchurch, theymightmention the following,even if they do not know the correctterminology: stained-glass windows, altar,pews, statues, aisles, arches, font, side-chapels, bells.If your school is close to a church, take

them there to identify these differentfeatures on site. Ask themwhich they thinkis themost important place in the church

and how they know. Theymay choosethe altar; often richly decorated, inmanychurches it is the focal point as you enterthe church. Explain that this is because thecelebration of Holy Communion is themost important aspect of a service formanyChristians.When you visit St John’s Chapel, your

studentswill be looking for the samefeatures, seeingwhat is similar andwhatis different about themand how thisreflects theway the chapel was used.

This photograph, taken in 1923, shows the chapel decorated for HarvestThanksgiving, andalso the large iron stove in the centre of themain aisle.

Activity 1 – First impressionsLearning objectivesThis introductory activity encouragesyour students to explore the chapel ina structuredway, and to observe anddescribe itsmain features. The extensionactivity develops skills of writing for aspecific audience, selecting, summarisingand organising factualmaterial, and usingappropriate specialist vocabulary.Studentswill plan, organise, draft, amendand proof-read their text. Research, designand IT skills will also be developed.

When you arrive, take a fewminutes toget your students’ first impressions of theexterior. There is enough space on theforecourt for a group to gather in safety.Ask students each to think of threewordsto describe the building, which to their

eyesmay not look very special. Ask themif there are any clues outside towhat thebuilding is used for. Is it a house?Or is itan office or another place of work? Is itintended for a large number of people?What is it built from? Is it decorated orplain? Remind students to look up, asmuch of the detailmay be out of theirimmediate view.Take your group inside, if possible by the

main central door leading into the nave, orcentral area, of the chapel. Divide intosmaller groups and give each a structuredtask to allow them to explore, and to feela sense of excitement in discoveringsomewhere new. For example, give eachgroup a list of features to find – such as thepews,memorials, pulpit, altar, and clock.Students could simply tick the list as they

This architect’s drawing shows theclassical details on the front of the chapel,and the importance of symmetry to thebuilding’s design. Enlarge the drawing,andask your students tomark on it thevarious axes of symmetry.

find each item, or couldwrite a sentenceor two describingwhat they notice about it.Ask studentswhat they think is themostimportant feature in the building. Theywillprobably identify the pulpit as it is so eye-catching. Explain that this was because theChristianswhoworshipped here felt thatthemost important aspect of a servicewas hearing theword ofGod, throughBiblereadings and theminister’s sermon.This activity could be further developed,

into amore detailed research, writing anddesign task. Tell your students that theyhave been commissioned to produce twoinformation panels for visitors to thechurch, one to be placed on the forecourt

outside and one inside. These panels areto direct the attention of visitors to themost interesting features of the building,and to explain how the chapel was usedearlier in its history.If possible show students some

examples of information panels – either atother sites in Chichester or via the internet(seeResources section), and discusswhatworks andwhat is less successful. Askthem to think about the number of words(amaximumof 200 for each panel is best),thewording and size of themain headingto attract the reader, and how side-headings canmake a panelmore readablefor visitors. Size of text is also important.

Consider the style of language andvocabulary and how tomake the textaccessible for a non-expert visitor, howto address the person reading the panel,and the use of photographs or drawings.At St John’s, ask students towork in

small groups to photograph and describetheir chosen features. Back at school theyshould find outmore about the building’shistory, decidewhich information shouldbe included on their panels, plan, draft,edit and proof-read their text, select theirphotographs or other illustrations anddesign their layout using IT.

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Activity 2 – Pictures inwordsLearning objectivesThis activity aims to develop your students’writing skills. Although the chapel is veryplain, it has great atmosphere, andprovides scope for imaginative andcreativewriting tasks, the development ofvocabulary and opportunities for creatingnarratives, scripts and poetry.Explain to your students how the archi-

tect planned for the chapel to be used bydifferent social groups, without themcoming into contact with each other. Thendivide your group into three. Ask one groupto sit in the seats in the centre of thechurch, and another to sit in the sidepews. If your group is accompanied bya volunteer, arranged at the time youmakeyour booking, itmay be possible to usethe gallery. If so, some studentsmay siton the servants benches and others in thebox pews rented by themorewealthyworshippers. If the gallery is not available,then select other contrasting places inthe chapel,maybe the entrance areaor stairwell.

Ask students to sit or stand quietly, andlook around the place, notingwhat theysee, hear and feel now, at this exactmoment. They need notwrite in fullsentences, just simple jottings of wordsand phraseswill be fine. You could providea simple template for them to record theirwords. Then ask them to transportthemselves back in time, towhen thechapel was in use in the 19th century. Askthem to record, fromexactly the sameplace, what theymight have seen, heardand felt then.To start students thinking, ask them to

consider:

� How the chapel was lit, what effectwould this have had andwhat noiseswere associatedwith gas lighting.

� Would the chapel have beenwarmer orcolder than now?

� Would they have been able to see thesame things then as they can today?

� What kind of noisesmight have filteredin fromoutside?

� Howmight they have felt about the

other people in the church?� Howmight they have felt at the endof an hour-long sermon?

This exercise can be repeated at eachof the three places in the chapel, to giveall students to chance to absorb theatmosphere and to think about the pastfromdifferent physical viewpoints. Askthem to share and discuss their ideas.After the visit, ask students to use their

site notes to produce a piece of creativewriting, possibly a narrative account fromthe point of view of one person in the past,a poem, or a dramatic interchangebetween twoormore people. If yourstudents are studying the 19th centuryin history, ask them to research the kindof clothes that would have beenworn,the transport used and the types of workthat would have been carried out by thosewho used the chapel, to addmoreaccurate detail to their writing. If yourstudents are enthused by their work,this could beworked up into a full dramaticpresentation.

Activity 3 –Material evidenceLearning objectivesThis activity gives students a scenario fortheir visit andwork back at school. Theywilldevelop observation skills, their powers ofdescription and choice of suitable vocab-ulary. Theywill produce a formal report,planning and organising theirmaterials,redrafting where necessary, and using anappropriate style for factual reporting.

Awide variety of buildingmaterialswas used to build St John’s Chapel.Explain to your students that TheChurchesConservation Trust hascommissioned them to carry out acondition survey of St John’s Chapel,and to produce a formal written reportbased on the evidence they find. Dividethem into smaller groups, and allocateeach a specific area towork in:

� the front exterior and forecourt� the entrance halls and staircases� the gallery� themain body of the church.

Give each group a simple recording sheet,and ask them to list the differentmaterialsused, what they have been used for, andwhat condition they are in. Emphasise theimportance of accuracy and clear

Activity 4 –RoundandaboutLearning objectivesThis activity is based in the localityimmediately around St John’s Chapel.Students at Key Stage 2 and 3workingon a local history study could use their visitto explore and record the architecture inthe surrounding streets, developing theirunderstanding ofGeorgian building stylesandmaterials aswell as the architecturalstyle of the chapel itself.St John’s is in a part of Chichester that

retainsmuch of its original 18th-centuryappearance. The same classical detailsthat are included in the architecture ofthe chapelmay be seen in large and smallhouses, and other buildings in the area.Pallant House, on the corner of NorthPallant, is an imposing buildingwhichwasbuilt in the early 18th century. It issometimes called theDodoHouse, afterthe carvings on the gateposts. These are,in fact, ostriches, representing the crest ofthe original owners, the Peckham family.Nowpart of Pallant HouseGallery, theexterior of Pallant House provides a goodexample of the symmetry of Georgianarchitecture.Use your walk to and from the chapel to

drawout style similarities. Give students acopy of the drawings of classical featuresand a simplified and enlarged roadmap,and ask them to record howoften theyspot each of them. You could plan yourroute towalk past Baffins Hall (on thecorner of Baffins Lane and East Pallant).This was built in 1721 as a Presbyterianchapel, and hasmany similarities with thestyle of St John’s. Ask students to note thevarious different buildingmaterials used.Are these the same as thematerials usedfor St John’s Chapel?

Many houses have decorative fanlights,and students could be asked to draw two

or three different types, as a basisfor creating their own repeating designfor fabric back at school as part of anart activity.

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description rather than opinion. If possible,photograph the various items.Studentsmight notice thatmost of the

columns are iron, but two arewood. Theupstairs doors to the gallery aremade ofunfinishedwood, coveredwith red baize todeaden sound fromoutside, and the railsaround the gallery are brass. The pulpit andaltar rails are bothmade of American black

beanwood, while the altar ismade of oak.The ground floor pews aremade frompinewood. Studentswill not be able to identifydifferent types of wood on the spot, butthey should be able to describe colour andgrain, and could do further research backat school. The ceiling, whichwas originallyplastered is now coveredwith paintedwood. Look up to see the shadows of the

original plaster rosettes and theconnecting ribs, since taken down.Outsidethe church, students should find brick,glass, stone, cement, iron andwood.After the visit, students should produce

a report on thematerials used in thechapel and their current condition. Theymay use photographs taken during thevisit to support their report.

The frontentrance ofPallant House

Fanlights canprovide the startingpoint for repeating designs

Activity 5 –RedundantchurchesLearning objectivesThis activity asks students to considerand debate someof the issues involvedin saving churches as part of our heritage.They should develop skills in spokenEnglish, through classroomdiscussion,more formal discussion or by taking onspecific roles to persuade or convinceothers in the group.Parish churches are such a familiar and

beautiful part or our English scene thatthey seem to be as permanent as thelandscape itself. Sadly this is not so. Formany reasons, including themobility ofpopulations in town and country, and thedecline in church attendance,many ofthemcannot nowbemaintained for their

original purpose. But every parish churchis special. All over England people areraising huge sumsofmoney to keep theirchurches standing and in good order,because they value themsomuch.When a church has to close for regular

worship, theChurch of England at itshighest level becomes very concernedand a complicated legal process is set inmotion to decide its future. A few haveto be demolished, usually for very goodreasons and as a last resort, butmany aregiven new leases of life through alternativeuses. TheChurchesConservation Trustcares for over 340outstanding churcheswhich, because of their beauty andinterest remain unaltered and still conse-crated for all to visit and enjoy. The Trustmakes themaccessible to the public,

Acanthus leaf decoration Pediment

Balustrade

Pilaster Corinthiancolumn

including educational groups. Today,St John’s Chapel is regularly used forevents including concerts and talks.The issues that surround redundant

churches canmake interesting topicsfor discussionwith your students. Askthem to think about the following:

� the number of places of worshipwhichhave been closed in your area

� thewide variety of re-use that chapelsand churches have been put to (fromtyre depots to art galleries to pubs

and cafes) or have been adapted forother religions.)

� the large sumsofmoney needed torestore or repair a church (nearly alwaysan historic building) andwhere themoney could, or should, come from.

You could pose specific questions for yourstudents, taking this approach further intodeveloping role play or amore structureddiscussion or formal debate. Startingpoints could be, for example:

� you are one of a congregation of 12, in

a village of 250people and you love yourold churchwhichwas built in the 15thcentury. You have been told the churchwill need £200,000within two years topay for repairs to keep it standing.Whatdo you do?

� you have to decidewhether to allowa redundant church to be adapted foranother use, or it will have to bedemolished.What kind of re-usewouldyou be happywith andwhat would yourefuse to accept?

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TheChurchesConservation Trust is thenational charity protecting historic churchesat risk. Since its foundation over 40 years ago,the Trust has saved over 340buildings, whichattract almost twomillion visitors each year.Its unique collection of English parishchurches includes irreplaceable examplesof architecture, archaeology andart from1000 years of history.

TheChurchesConservationTrustSociety Building, 8All Saints Street

LondonN1 9RL

T: 08453032760www.visitchurches.org.uk

Credits and acknowledgementsPhotographs:West Sussex RecordOffice (p2, p4 top, p5), EnglishHeritage (p7) and StephenRiley (all other photos).Written byJennie Fordham (2003) and updatedby Jennie Fordham (2013). Additional historical information providedbyAlanGreen.Updated edition (2013) fundedwith a grant fromChichester City Council. Designedby JohnBerbuto01883 740575.©ChurchesConservation Trust 2013.

MAKINGAVISITThe chapel is open from 1000 till 1600eachday. To arrange a visit contact secretary@stjohnschapelchichester.co.ukTeachers are responsible for the safety

of their studentswhile visiting the chapel,and are strongly recommended tomakean advanceplanning visit. Please ask yourstudents to be aware of other visitors, andto respect the historic and spiritualimportance of the chapel.www.stjohnschapelchichester.co.uk

WEBSITES ANDRESOURCESExploring churches, Johnson, Corbishley,Hollinshead, (2004), ChurchesConservation Trust.This book, available fromwww.visitchurchurches.org.uk, is an excellentresource for teachers, showing howchurchesmay be used to support all areasof the curriculum. It is full of information,timelines and images.

Pocket guide to how to read a church,Taylor, (2007), Rider, an imprint of EburyPublishing.Written for adults, but accessible for youngpeople, this is a well-illustrated short guideto church architecture, decoration andsymbolism.

Be a church detective, Fewins, (2005),Canterbury PressNorwich.A good introductory guide to churcharchitecture for young people.

St. John’s Chapel and theNewTown,

Chichester (2004), AlanGreen, Phillimore.A detailed and comprehensive history of theChapel and the area of Chichester in whichit stands and a good source for images.

Churches: how to read them,DVD, (2010)BBC. This DVDcontains six half hourprogrammes presented by Richard Tayloron churches fromearliest times throughto the Victorian period. Programme5(Restoration and reason)offers someinteresting comparisonswith the styleand use of St John’s Chapel.

www.stjohnschapelchichester.co.ukprovides further background and a galleryof imageswhich teachersmay downloadfor usewith their students.

www.christianityandculture.org.ukcontains a free downloadable primaryschool pack, including lesson plans,assemblymaterial and guidance onplanning a visit to a local church.

www.educhurch.org.uk compares threeplaces of Christianworship, a parishchurch, a Salvation Army citadel and abuilding used by aChristian Fellowship

group. There is supporting guidance forteachers, which is the best place to start.

www.heritage-explorer.co.uk is thewebsite provided by EnglishHeritageand theNational Monuments Record.It contains awealth of images, teachingactivities, case studies and interactivewhiteboard resources. Its section on‘How to’ guides offers a very useful stepby step guide to planning a local study.

www.westsussexpast.org.uk is a search-able web gateway for databases andinformation on the heritage of the county.

Thewebsite ofWest SussexCountyCouncil,www.westsussex.gov.uk hassomeuseful local history resources,including VictorianWest Sussex, underits learning section.

Many cathedrals provide learning activitiesto download, althoughmany of these arelinked to their taught cathedralprogrammes. Chichester Cathedral,www.chichestercathedral.org.ukoffersdownloadable activity packs, photoresources and teacher/pupil notes.

FIND US:

St John's Chapel, St John's StreetChichester, West Sussex PO19 1URwww.stjohnschapelchichester.co.uk