Old Chapel Old ChapelThe Old Chapel was located where the original medieval chapel had been, in the north range of Old Court built in 1448. It was altered internally many times.
The first photo shows the Old Chapel as restored by George F. Bodley (1827-1907) in 1860. The insertion of a new organ in the south wall at the east end involved the loss of two undergraduate sets on E staircase. Bodley raised the cill of the east window so as to accommodate a raised altar and marble reredos. The gap between the the north choir stalls and the east end was filled by hanging fabric.
Bodley did further work in 1871-2, with the results seen in the second photo (by Stearn). The hanging fabric was replaced partly by wood panelling running eastwards from the north choir stalls, and partly by extending the marble reredos in from the east end.
In 1891, the new Chapel came into use. Various bits of the Old Chapel were distributed elsewhere. Glass by Hardman in the three south windows (1860 and 1879) was transferred to south windows in the new Chapel. Older glass from the north and east windows was sent to Little Eversden, but no faculty was granted for its erection there (In the 1980s, the much damaged remnants were reclaimed by College and put into store). The choir stalls were sent to Little Eversden, though one seat found its way to St Botolph's. The reredos was sent to St Mark's, Barton Road.
In 1951 the room was adapted for use as a Library. The huge arch for the organ, now blocked, can still be seen in the Library today. The ceiling remains as it was.
