Chapel of Ease of St Michael, Colyford, Devon

Just before I went to visit this chapel in 2011, I'd recently had two surprises of some amazing architecture and other delights while visiting the parish churches of Sidmouth and Lyme Regis. I honestly didn't expect to find any more but, as things tend to turn up in threes, I really should have known better!

It's an easy visit within walking distance but I'd left it for a time when there wasn't anything else to do. So, having saved this one for a rainy day, I decided to go on a very hot April afternoon instead. ;)

Although only a little over a hundred years old, it really is a lovely building.  Completed in 1889, this was the first time in some three centuries that there was once again a place of worship in Colyford; the former chantry of St Edmunds having disappeared from use. Erected in remembrance of Admiral John Impey by his daughter and grandson, the chapel is built in the decorated style, consisting of brick with a flint facing and dressings of Beer Stone from the limestone quarry situated above the nearby Beer village.
 

Entering by the south-west door I came across my first surprise; an interior porch formed by screens consisting of plain and coloured glass panels - enabling warm light into an area which can often be quite dark in traditional churches.

The roof consists of pitched pine with curved boarded ceilings; the interior quite spacious with room for around two hundred people.

Looking down towards the entrance from the chancel, below. On the left is the south transept where the font is also situated. The glass-panelled porch can be seen left of centre.

The font is constructed from the local Beer Stone with a Ham Hill and Corsehill base.  Ham Hill stone is also fairly local, from Somerset, whereas Corsehill stone comes from a quarry in Dumfries and Galloway and is a fine grained pink/red sandstone. 

The north side below, looking towards the chancel.

A squint in the south transept wall enables those sitting in there during services to see through to the sanctuary, below.

 
And now, the other surprise that I had when entering the nave and looking towards the east end was this stunning carved oak reredos - most unexpected in a humble chapel of ease. It was modelled upon 'The Entombment' by the Renaissance artist, Bartolemmeo.

Erected as a memorial to Marian Impney Scarborough, who died in 1891, by her son Elijah John Scarborough.

The exterior has a pleasing aspect with some interesting features. The photos below show the west gable with a bell turret constructed in Beer Stone, containing a single bell and topped with a metal cross.

A cute little gabled trefoil window nestles between two adjacent walls on the south-east corner.

Adjoining the chapel is a stone house which was built as a rectory. The intention was to establish a separate parish in Colyford, but the chapel came under the care of the rector at Colyton in 1903 and the house was sold as a private residence.

I wasn't very pleased with the exterior photos - a bit pale and wishy-washy, with the pinky/lime green cast often captured on film in Spring - which is why I haven't included many. I've put a few below though, for completion. :)

Altogether a lovely visit and much more satisfying than I had expected.

Water Treatment Plant, Colyford, Devon

I'm absolutely fascinated by these sites and having seen this on Google Earth, and seeing how large it is, I decided to go for a walk to check it out. I didn't expect to be able to see much, as it looked quite secure, but the God of Urbex was surely with me that day and lo and behold...the gate was open! So, not wanting to appear rude by turning down an invitation, I strolled in. ;) 
 

I kept mainly to the path as I could see a South West Water Authority van parked up by the site office and wanted to take as many photos as I could before getting rumbled.

It was a gorgeously sunny, frosty and freezing cold, winter afternoon in January 2009, with an almost full moon in the sky. You can just about see the moon in the photo below...albeit very small.

I've tried to find out about the process of water treatment but there are so many different types of plants, and many different processes, that it's hard to find a suitably comprehensive definitive explanation. However, I've managed to get sense of the very basics, which go something like this... 

Water Filtration consists of four processes; Preliminary Treatment - screening out solids, Primary Settlement & Secondary Settlement - sedimentation beds, and Tertiary - includes such things as biological/chemical cleaning, nutrient stripping in filter beds and effluent discharge.

Obviously, there's a lot more to it than that, but I don't want to get bogged down (no pun intended!) with a huge amount of details for every different kind of process...even if I could sort it out from all the information available! ;)

 

 

The circular settling tanks (also known as sedimentation or sand filtration tanks) contain layers of anthracite, sand and gravel. As the name suggests, they are used to filter out sediment from the water.

I was just into my second roll of film when I heard an 'Excuse me, but you're not meant to be here'. I apologised and explained my interest and the bloke was very nice about it, but he did say he had to escort me off. Something he told me about, which surprised me, is that if anyone wants to see a site they just have to ring up South West Water as they're only too happy to give permission and provide an operative to accompany them (for health and safety reasons). I don't know if it applies to all water authorities, but it's worth phoning to find out.

And some half a mile or so downstream from the plant along the River Coly, and at the edge of Colyford village, is this lovely tiny water pumping station.

A lovely afternoon, an excellent explore and an enjoyable walk of a good two miles each way. And to put the cherry on the icing, the late afternoon sun provided lots more photo opportunities on the way home.