Biddlestone Chapel

Biddlestone Chapel was built in or about 1820 for the Roman Catholic Selby family of Biddlestone Hall, the architect probably being John Dobson who designed the now demolished Selby mansion in a severe Greek Revival style. It is constructed on the site of a 13th-century pele tower, which was attached to the hall, and incorporates some of its fabric. The chapel became redundant in 1992, and transferred to the ownership of Historic Chapels Trust in 1996. The Trust carried out a programme of restoration and repair in 2008. The rest of the hall was demolished circa 1960. As the Historic Chapels Trust wound up its operations in 2025, Biddlestone Chapel was transferred to the Friends of…

Inside, the basement is the tunnel vaulted lower part of the tower. At the east end of this is a corrugated iron air raid shelter. Upstairs is the chapel proper, with plastered walls, a timber roof, and Gothic Revival fittings. Originally the walls were decorated with stencilling. There are heraldic crests in the stained glass of the Selby family dating to 1862. The walls at the east end are inscribed with quotations from the Psalms. Flanking the altar are statues of Mary and Joseph. The Stations of the Cross are represented by photographs. The stained glass in the east window is attributed to William Wailes, and depicts the Crucifixion.