Page 3 - Internal views 2
Upon entering the nave the first impression is the height of the chapel
with it's roof ninety feet to the apex of the vaulting. The stone ribbing
of the vaulted roof reflects the light around the upper part keeping it well
lit and easier to inspect than many ecclesiastical buildings, the chalk of
the roof being quarried from nearby.
The view from the entrance hall down the nave to the high altar
The columns rise uninterrupted from the plain bases to the trefoil arches
giving a greater impression of loftiness and the simple lines do their work
well in keeping the overall view uncluttered. Visiting on a sunny day is recommended
as the rays of the sun give the chapel an extra quality and make the details
stand out. The chandeliers were installed in the 1980's, designed by Dykes
Bower.
The uninterrupted line of the columns can be seen here which is an unusual feature
The marvellous woodwork lends to the overall richness of the chapel and
the canopies with their pinnacles crowned with foliage are from Eton Chapel.
When Eton found its frescoes on the walls, it let these canopies go, and
they were given to Lancing chapel who have, it must be said, made marvellous
use of this beautiful gift. They were transferred here in 1923 but look
as though they were here from the beginning. There are little heads peeping
out from the carving everywhere showing the skill of the carvers many years
ago (see below), odd and ingenious certainly.
The wonderful carving is seen here utilising the loftiness of the nave to its best
The chairs in the nave were given by the boys of the college in 1911 and
brass plates record those who fell in the Great War. The high altar is approached
by four flights of steps and has been arranged for westward celebration. The
south aisle holds the Saint Nicolas Chapel where there is a seventeenth-century
Flemish carved wood figure of the saint in the sedilia.
The window over the altar depicts Saints Martin and Nicolas respectively,
by Sir Ninian Comper, in memory of Provost Southwell and H.M. Gibbs, who was
one of the colleges greatest benefactors. All the south aisle windows, along
with those of the north aisle have been re-glazed with leaded lights and tinted
glass quarries in memory of former pupils, friends and benefactors of Lancing.
The rose window stands majestically over the west end organ
In the north aisle is the Lady Chapel, the stonework of the east window
here cost £80 in the 1870's, and was the gift of Hugh Knight, Clerk
of the Works here. The stained glass by Stephen Dykes Bower, which honours
Our Lady in its inscription, commemorates all those who have worked on the
chapel.
The six lozenges, on a grisaille background, represent, on the left, the
carpenter's shop at Nazareth; the architect and Founder (centre); laying the
foundation-stone (bottom); on the right, glassmaking (top); constructing the
rose window (centre), and the Eucharist of Dedication. Below are the emblems
of Saints Mary and Nicolas and above, the completed chapel seen from the north-east.
Besides the sanctuary are canopied
stalls for the Provost and the Bishop. The large heavy candlesticks, bronze,
are copies of a pair by Annibale Fontana in the Certosa at Pavia, made early-eighteenth
century.
The floor is made from Portland stone and was salvaged from a barquentine
wrecked off Shoreham in the 1870's.
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