I’ve previously written about a little 1884 ruined chapel at Calderglen, the article here: https://blantyreproject.com/2014/06/02/cochranes-chapel-blantyre/
However, back in February 2016, on a particularly rainy weekend, I set off with Gordon Cook and Alex Rochead to the location of the chapel, armed with a shovel, to see if we could find anything. The purpose primarily was to try to document the sizes of the chapel, and piece together how it was configured, which didn’t appear to have been recorded before.
Our day at the bottom of Kirkwall Avenue, Priory Bridge proved very eventful, and knowing where the chapel was, we set about digging in the field to see what we could find. We took great care to ensure nothing was disturbed and that everything, including dimensions was being recorded.
We were astonished to find part of the chapel floor remaining, and carefully removed the soil to expose the tiles. The clay orange coloured tiles were about 80mm wide with 8 sides, infilled with darker smaller square tiles. Around the perimeter was a band of smaller, rectangular orange tiles and grey tiles.
We found the chapel ran in an exact east-west direction, perhaps so as to let morning and evening light into the building. The grave markers, which were still there on the site were recorded as being put there between the 1930s and 1954, with the exception of the original marker stone for the chapel, dedicated in 1884. The gravestones were actually outside the chapel imprint, in what was a small memorial garden. Evidence of paths around this can still be seen, although the stones themselves were toppled for safety by the council when the ruined chapel was demolished for safety reasons in early 1990.
At 9m wide x 3.5m wide the chapel was rectangular in shape, with a curved bow shape at the east end. I drew up a plan of our findings when I got back home (attached). Here are our photos.
Thanks Paul. What I failed to put up on this article, was that somebody called the police on us, as they thought we were buying somebody having been there so long! lol We had to explain that we were history enthusiasts, uncovering, not buyring. All good.
What a find Paul! Absolutely amazing. What a shame that this was demolished, and on purpose! I read the other article too, your original one and I agree the mosaics belong in Blantyre.