A modest post-war chapel, built largely with voluntary effort, altered and extended at various times.

A mission was established in Borrowash at the turn of the twentieth  century, served from St Mary’s Derby.  Mass was said in an upper room at the Wilmot Arms Inn from 1896 to 1909 and then in a variety of locations until a permanent chapel was opened in June 1959. The Diocesan Yearbook for 1960 says that an architect parishioner designed the chapel for no fee and other parishioners carried out all the internal and external decoration, as well as providing altar linen and vestments. The building seated 200 and cost £4,000. It was extended in 1960 with the addition of a hall to the south and a porch to the north.

Description

The liturgical east end of the church is roughly to the south; in this description, conventional liturgical orientation will be used. The footprint of the building is T- plan, with the church forming the vertical arm, built gable end to the road and with the later hall as the cross wing at the east end of the church. Sacristies flank the sanctuary. The building is faced in a drag-wire rustic orange brick with a shallow- pitched concrete tiled roof. The hall and porch additions are faced in a yellow brick; the porch facing the main road has a recessed panel over the doorway with a crucifix. The windows are all stained timber, late twentieth century, with the exception of some windows to the hall which are uPVC.

The plain interior is painted white, with fitted carpets over a solid floor and a grid suspended ceiling. The sanctuary up one step is apsidal with leaded side windows, now internal due to the addition of the hall beyond. The sanctuary fittings are of late twentieth century date, simple, dignified designs in hardwood; the altar has a painted relief panel depicting the Last Supper; this came from the old chapel of Mr and Mrs Carlin of The Grange, Chaddesden. Lighting is inset within the suspended ceiling.

Heritage Details