Details
COMPTON VERNEY
SP35SW COMPTON VERNEY
1901-1/6/66 Chapel immediately north-west of
06/02/52 Compton Verney
(Formerly Listed as:
COMPTON VERNEY
Chapel at Compton Verney)
GV I
Chapel, now redundant. 1772. By Lancelot 'Capability' Brown
(possibly to designs of Robert Adam).
MATERIALS: limestone ashlar and some dressed stone; gabled
graduated stone slate roof.
PLAN: single vessel nave and chancel.
EXTERIOR: east end has Venetian window. Pedimented west end
has rusticated ground floor with 3 round-headed recesses, that
to centre is entrance with fielded 6-panel door; first floor
has a blind window with sill, architrave, frieze and consoled
cornice, flanking niches in similar surrounds; wood bellcote
in form of triumphal arch.
3-window south elevation has upper sill band and top cornice;
blocked entrance to left end has plain surround with flat arch
and consoled pediment; 3 blind windows with plain surrounds; 3
round-headed upper windows have small-paned glazing; terrace
originally with iron railings. North side is plain, dressed
stone and 3 round-headed windows.
INTERIOR: Adam-style plaster decoration; rosette frieze over
pews, plain panels below sill band with Vitruvian scroll;
panels with eared and shouldered architraves and swags above
between windows with panelled reveals and waterleaf to
surrounds; cartouches and husk festoons over windows; fluted
frieze and cornice to rich coffered ceiling with rosettes and
coving. East end has large panel with concave angles enclosing
wreath, flanking fluted angle pilasters.
West gallery on pairs of Doric columns, frieze with swags,
dentil cornice and panels with concave angles; staircase with
column-on-vase balusters. Entrance has architrave, fluted
frieze and consoled cornice.
FITTINGS: triple-decker pulpit and stalls facing north and
south; benches to gallery partly obscuring fireplace to side
wall with architrave with rosettes to angles, fluted frieze
and cornice.
MONUMENTS: Anne Verney, d.1523, brass; Richard Verney, d.1526,
and family, brass; George Verney, d.1574, brass. 3 mid C17
floor slabs of black marble with brass insets to altar step
dated 1642, 1648 and 1649, 3 similar stone slabs have armorial
bearings over inscriptions dated 1683, 1698 and 1700. Sir
Richard Verney, d.1630, by Nicholas Stone: free-standing
alabaster chest tomb with slate inscription panels and slate
panels to pilasters, top slab with inscription to moulded edge
and 2 white marble recumbent effigies.
Sir Greville Verney, d.1668, probably by Edward Hurst:
Corinthian aedicule in black marble with white marble
dressings; round-headed recess contains inscribed plinth
supporting portrait bust in the round on small bracket;
armorial bearings to pilasters, pediment with 2 putti and
armorial bearing.
John Verney, d.1741, and wife, d.1760: veined marble plinth
with white inscription panel supporting strigillated
sarcophagus has medallion with 2 profile heads set against
grey stele with armorial bearing.
Lady Lewisham, d.1798, and husband, d.1816, by Richard
Westmacott Snr: Greek Revival-style white marble with
inscribed sarcophagus below inscription panel with flanking
panelled pilasters, festoon above and plain gable with
acroteria, armorial bearing missing.
Lord Willoughby de Broke, d.1852, and wife Margaret, d.1880,
by W Hollins of Birmingham: white marble, inscription panel
with draped portrait medallion against grey stele with
armorial bearing; later panel to Margaret added below.
STAINED GLASS: C18 armorial and decorative glass remains to
window heads.
HISTORY: the church was built to replace one by the lake
demolished in 1772 during `Capability' Brown's landscaping
work.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner, N & Wedgwood, A:
Warwickshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-: 240-1; Country Life:
Bolton, AT: Compton Verney, Warwickshire, a seat of Lord
Willoughby de Broke: London: 1913-: 528-35; Occasional Papers:
Tyack, G: Warwickshire Country Houses in the Age of Classicism
1650-1800: 1989-: 69).
Listing NGR: SP3101652874
