Chapel of St Nicholas

Built in 1220, restored for worship in 1896 and again in 1996

Photo: C Myers, St Nicholas Center

Built of locally made bricks, it is the earliest post-Roman brickwork in England, with fine examples of moulded bricks around the windows.

Photo: C Myers, St Nicholas Center

The south wall

Photo: C Myers, St Nicholas Center

The only indication of the chapel's name, besides the postcards

Photo: C Myers, St Nicholas Center

Coggeshall, Essex England UK

Church of England (Anglican)

The gatehouse Chapel of St Nicholas, 1220, is the most complete of the remaining Cistercian Coggelshall Abbey buildings. When the abbey was disolved in 1538, Cromwell's agents auctioned off the lead roof from St Mary's Church, the largest abbey building (lead or copper roofs were the most valuable part of a building). The Chapel's thatch spared it to be turned into a horse-barn with attached pig-sty. Sold to the Vicar of Coggeshall in 1860, it was restored with tile replacing the thatch. After St Peter ad Vincula, Coggeshall, was bombed, the little chapel provided a place for worship. Services are now held once a month.

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