I would like to refer to a very interesting midget church at
Grove, near Leighton Buzzard, which I had the pleasure of visiting
recently. It is the smallest in the county, and is a gable-roofed,
barn-like fabric, with a door on the north side. In 1883 the little
church was restored throughout, the fine old-fashioned square
pews being replaced by open wooden seats, and it is now capable
of seating about fifty people. Formerly the edifice contained a
"three-decker"--clerk's desk, reading-desk, and pulpit combined. The
churchyard contains many graves, but only one tombstone (eighteenth
century). The dimensions of the church are--length, twenty-nine and
a half feet; width, eighteen feet; height, about forty feet; in
all probability, the church was formerly larger than at present.
Grove is generally considered to be one of the smallest parishes in
England, and one could hardly conceive of a smaller. It consists
practically of a farmhouse and a lock-keeper's cottage.
[Illustration: ST. ROBERT'S CHAPEL, KNARESBOROUGH.
(_Showing figure of a Knight Templar cut in the rock._)
(_Photo: G. E. Arnold, Knaresborough._)]
We must not forget that at the top of Edinburgh Castle is the
historical diminutive chapel of St. Margaret's, which was the
private chapel of the pious Margaret, Queen of Malcolm III., during
her residence in the castle. Until very recently it had been quite
lost sight of, having been converted into a powder magazine and
fallen into disrepair. In 1853, however, it was "discovered" and
put into an efficient state of repair. It is considered to be
the oldest and smallest chapel in Scotland, its dimensions being
sixteen feet six inches by ten feet sixteen inches. The semicircular
chancel is separated from the nave by a well-carved double-round
arch, decorated with Norman zigzag mouldings. It is too small to be
made available for divine service for the troops quartered in the
castle, and the only use that it is now put to is for occasional
baptisms and morning Communion.
[Illustration: (_Photo: Cassell and Co., Ltd._)
SMALL CHURCH AT ST. ANDREW, GREENSTED, NEAR ONGAR.
(_Believed to include the only remaining portion of a Saxon wooden
church._)]
There are several very small places of worship which are now, alas!
in ruins. At Iona, for instance, on the west coast of Scotland,
are the remains of an extremely small chapel, known as St. Oran's
Chapel. It is very near Iona Cathedral. It is constructed of red
granite, and its external measurements are sixty feet by twenty-two
feet. It is now roofless, and is very old. This little chapel
is believed to have been built by Queen Margaret in 1080. Its
architecture is Romanesque, and it has one low entrance. This humble
edifice is interesting inasmuch as within its walls is the tomb of
Sir Walter Scott's "Lord of the Isles," the friend of Bruce.
[Illustration: (_Photo: Cassell and Co., Ltd._)
DIMINUTIVE CHAPEL AT POINT IN VIEW, NEAR EXMOUTH.
(_Containing an organ made by the pastor._)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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