The Chapel (Coggeshall)

The Chapel, 4 Market Hill, Coggeshall, Essex

This information from ESSEX BREWERS - The Malting and Hop Industries of the County by Ian P Peaty 1992 now out of print ISBN 978 1 873966 02 4

This unique name for a public house, certainly within Essex, has its origins going back to John Sewell, Sheriff of Essex in the fourth year in the reign of King Richard II (c.1381). It was formerly known as Ayworth's Edgeworth and Seals or Sewells refering to John Sewell, an owner of the property.

At the time of the sale in 1828 of J R & J Brightwen's bankruptcy, the premises had a two floor malting of 8 quarters in the rear yard, which also ghad an avenue of trees. The Chapel was up for sale again on 16th August, 1881, still with its 8 quarter steep malting, with barley and malt chamber over which was in the occupation of Mr William King, a yearly tenant (probably of the nearby W & S J King’s Gravel Brewery!). The hotel with an outside brew house was run by Mr Walter Green.

The Chapel Inn became an Ind Coope house, and their sign bracket survives:

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  2010

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  2023

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  2023

The Chapel is a grade 2-star listed building (List Entry Number 1337968). The official listing description follows:

House, now hotel. Late C14, altered in C16, C18 and C19. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red plain tiles. 2-bay hall facing E, and 2-bay crosswing to left, with C19 internal stack to left. C16/17 2-bay wing to rear of hall, with internal stack at the junction. 3-bay extension beyond, early C17. To right, early/mid C19 wing of red brick in Flemish bond with slate roof. 2 storeys, cellars and attics. Ground floor, one early C19 tripartite sash of 8-12-8 lights and 2 early C19 sashes of 10+10 lights. First floor, 3 early C19 sashes of 12 lights. C19 double half-glazed doors. 7 plaster pilasters. Plaster band at first-floor level. Moulded and dentilled cornice, plain parapet, hipped roof. The crosswing has an underbuilt jetty, jetty plate missing, a heavy binding beam chamfered in 2 orders, and one of 2 plain braces to it, 0.14 metre wide (and one C20 replica); joists of heavy square section, jointed to binding beam with central tenons with housed soffits. On the soffits of some joists are traces of floral paintings, c.1600, covered by brown varnish. Roof rebuilt in line with that of main range. The hall has an inserted floor of c.1600, comprising a chamfered axial beam and plain joists of square section, and a dado of oak panelling, c.1600. Most of the frame is covered by internal finishes, but sufficient of it is visible to establish that the original building is substantially present and structurally unaltered. The partition wall between the hall and crosswing is smoke-blackened at roof level. Roof structure not accessible. Early C19 stair with turned newels, wreathed mahogany handrail, and stick balusters. The rear wing has on the ground floor an early C19 horizontal sash of 12+12 lights, and on the first floor a similar sash of 9+9 lights; chamfered binding beam and plain joists of vertical section. The extension beyond has jowled posts, chamfered axial beams with lamb's tongue stops, and an introduced bow window of uncertain date. The right wing has at the rear 2 original sashes of 12 lights. Probably the house of John Sewall, Sheriff of Essex in 1381, and later known as Ayworth's or Edgeworth's (G.F. Beaumont, A History of Coggeshall in Essex, 1890, 231).