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All the United Kingdom Wales Denbigh St Hilary's Chapel
AO Edited

St Hilary's Chapel

This tower is all that remains of a once-famed chapel.

Denbigh, Wales

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St Hilary’s Chapel tower with Denbigh Castle behind it.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
The tower and remaining wall.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
The chapel tower.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Remains of St Hilary’s Chapel with the bricked up door.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
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St. Hilary's Chapel was built in the early 14th-century as the garrison chapel for nearby Denbigh Castle. The official parish church was actually St. Marcella's, but St. Hilary's was closer to the center of the town and eventually took over many of the functions of a parish church.

The chapel consisted of a five-bay nave, north aisle and chancel, as well as the still surviving west tower. Many of the original windows were replaced by larger openings and the aisle was rebuilt in the 18th-century. 

During the English Civil War in 1645, a service was held here attended by many dignitaries including King Charles I, Lord Keeper Williams, and the Archbishop of York. By the middle of the 19th-century however, St Hilary's was in need of extensive restoration. It was decided to erect a new church in a more convenient location rather than repair the chapel.

After the new church opened, St. Hilary's became derelict. The roof was removed in 1904 and the church was finally demolished, except for the tower in 1923.

The still standing three-story tower is 49 feet (15 meters) high and has two belfry openings on all four sides. It also has a battlemented parapet with projecting gargoyles. The tower became a Grade I listed building in 1950.

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St Hilary's Chapel is just down the hill from Denbigh Castle.

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November 8, 2021

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Ruins History & Culture Architecture Churches Towers
St Hilary's Chapel
Castle Hill
Denbigh, Wales, LL16 3NG
United Kingdom
53.181753, -3.419892
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