Flaybrick Mortuary Chapel - 30th Aug 2008 9:27pm
Have created this topic to record observations made at Flaybrick Chapel.
Went there today to have a look at the mysterious symbols on the masonry. Place looks even more knackered now, with most of roofing beams gone and most of internal plasterwork fallen down. Plenty of shrubs growing in it now. Don't know how they could use this for a bat sanctuary now - its so far gone.
Anyway, here are the photos:
Overview of which side each symbol lies
Anchor/heart/cross
IHS
Falling dove
Eye of Providence
Not sure of significance but chapel is built with front facing east.
The gargoyles on the tower are peculiar. Gargoyles usually perform the task of being an outlet for drains, but all 4 of the creatures do not appear to be doing this. They all appear to be dragons, the ones to the front have rounder eyes. The other peculiar thing is that on front and back the gargoyles appear to be looking at the same point in the landscape. The front ones look north-east and the back ones look south west. The front ones even appear to be focusing on a point in the cemetery.
Front gargoyles
Also note the Star of David symbols - each face of the tower has 2 in the same place.
Know this much about it so far - Flaybrick was designed by Edward Kemp so can only assume he designed the chapel. Have failed to find anything on web about it but will try reference library. Will see if I can get plans maybe. Such a peculiar layout with the middle section appearing too narrow to be a place to hold a service - more like a corridor between the end rooms which are also not very wide. Maybe this was literally a place to keep the bodies before they were taken for burial. Kind of like a chapel of rest or something. Will do some internet digging on the subject and report back.
Went there today to have a look at the mysterious symbols on the masonry. Place looks even more knackered now, with most of roofing beams gone and most of internal plasterwork fallen down. Plenty of shrubs growing in it now. Don't know how they could use this for a bat sanctuary now - its so far gone.
Anyway, here are the photos:
Overview of which side each symbol lies
Anchor/heart/cross
IHS
Falling dove
Eye of Providence
Not sure of significance but chapel is built with front facing east.
The gargoyles on the tower are peculiar. Gargoyles usually perform the task of being an outlet for drains, but all 4 of the creatures do not appear to be doing this. They all appear to be dragons, the ones to the front have rounder eyes. The other peculiar thing is that on front and back the gargoyles appear to be looking at the same point in the landscape. The front ones look north-east and the back ones look south west. The front ones even appear to be focusing on a point in the cemetery.
Front gargoyles
Also note the Star of David symbols - each face of the tower has 2 in the same place.
Know this much about it so far - Flaybrick was designed by Edward Kemp so can only assume he designed the chapel. Have failed to find anything on web about it but will try reference library. Will see if I can get plans maybe. Such a peculiar layout with the middle section appearing too narrow to be a place to hold a service - more like a corridor between the end rooms which are also not very wide. Maybe this was literally a place to keep the bodies before they were taken for burial. Kind of like a chapel of rest or something. Will do some internet digging on the subject and report back.