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Design proposals for the restoration and conservation of the interior of
Figure 1. The St Nicholas window in the South Transept, installed by Bishop Powys in the Chapel’s original phase of construction and decoration. St Nicholas was chosen not for his now commonplace association with Christmas but on account of his patronage of seafarers. [RP]
RK 6296 Chapel ~ January 2026 ~ Rupert Powell for
These design proposals seek to restore and conserve the existing interior building fabric and fittings of the Chapel at Bishopscourt, to re-instate missing fittings and features and to introduce new items which will enable the Chapel to be used once more for services. As part of the former episcopal palace of Bishopscourt the Chapel of St Nicholas is also Registered Building No. 1 on the Isle of Man; it remains a consecrated chapel under the jurisdiction of the Church of England’s Diocese of Sodor & Man, and as such falls within Faculty rules. However, because it is a private chapel attached to a private house, the requirements and duties of an ordinary parish church do not apply to it.
Various authorities need to be applied to for permission to restore or make changes to the Chapel and their jurisdictions range from construction work to interior fittings to the introduction of moveable objects. The proposals below are marked with the following code to indicate what permission is required:
⁂ Planning Permission (Isle of Man) ⁑ Registered Building Consent (Isle of Man) † Faculty Permission (Diocese of Sodor & Man under Archdiocese of York) ‡ Consultation with the Archdeacon of Man (Faculty List B)
※ No Permission Required (Faculty List A)
Some proposals have overlapping jurisdictions. Where jurisdiction is not yet perfectly clear the symbol is accompanied by a question mark.
Figure 2. The chancel and south transept of the Chapel in February 2023, with the Tower of the old episcopal palace under scaffolding for the re-instatement of its original crenellations and roof. [RP]
⁂ Planning Permission (Isle of Man) ⁑ Registered Building Consent (Isle of Man) † Faculty Permission (Diocese of Sodor & Man under Archdiocese of York) ‡ Consultation with the Archdeacon of Man (Faculty List B)
※ No Permission Required (Faculty List A)
Figure 7. The East Window and the St. Nicholas Window in the South Transept in the chapel at Bishopscourt. [RP]
The former episcopal chapel and pro-cathedral at Bishopscourt is now a private chapel attached to a private house. Nevertheless, it remains a consecrated place of worship within the Church of England’s Diocese of Sodor & Man, falls within the Faculty System and enjoys – with the former episcopal palace – the protections afforded it as Registered Building No. 1 on the Isle of Man. Although Bishopscourt is no longer the residence of the bishop, the chapel remains an important place in the religious life and history of the island and in particular within the parishes of Kirk Michael and Ballaugh, across whose boundary it was built.
The aim of the present owners in restoring the chapel is twofold: to ensure the building’s fabric and fittings are in sound condition and on a safe footing for the future, and to equip the chapel so that it may once again be used for private prayer and church services as well as for those services which the local community could attend historically and up until 1990. These include Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Holy Communion, Evensong, baptisms, weddings and memorial services according to the rites of the Church of England, as well as for carol services, concerts and recitals. This provision depends to a great extent upon the interest of local congregations and the availability and willingness of the local clergy to officiate at those services which require a priest.1 Above all, it is hoped to maintain the chapel not only as an historic building but as a place with an atmosphere conducive to prayer, reflection and the gathering together of the community.
All proposals outlined below affect the interior of the chapel. Proposals for the restoration of the exterior have been submitted and approved separately. Please refer to the accompanying plans and elevations.
Figure 8. A Lesson from The New Testament, from A Series of Compositions from the Liturgy by John Bell, 1844.
The black and red Minton tiles in the nave have suffered damage on account of groundwater and capillary water ingress caused by the ground level at the transepts and sanctuary being higher than the floor levels within. This has recently been corrected (in line with approved application 21/01297/B) and it is hoped the problem will no longer grow worse. The floor has been inspected by Cliveden Conservation, who have summarised the damage done to it over time. In zones A & B (west end of the nave) there is isolated salt efflorescence. In zones C, D & G (east end of the nave) much larger crusts of salt efflorescence have formed on account of long-term dampness. Zones C & D have tiles which have slumped 30mm lower than the rest of the floor and in Zones C & G there are two isolated areas of raised tiles. Moisture readings (before the lowering of the ground level around the chapel) show high levels of dampness, particularly in zone C (44%). The hard concrete screed, tightness of the tile joints and unevenness create pressure points across the floor, with the result that nearly seven hundred tiles are cracked. Cleaning trials took place an several methods were explored, with varying success.
F
G D C B A
E
Figure 9. The condition of the nave floor tiles categorised by Cliveden Conservation.
The proposal for the nave floor is led by Cliveden Conservation’s recommendation: to lift all the nave tiles, cleaning and mending them; to replace the uneven, non-breathable concrete screed with a level lime screed; to relay the restored tiles as before.
Figure 10. The nave tiles in the best (Zone A) and worst (Zone C) condition. [Cliveden Conservation]
The decorative, geometric Minton Tiles on the altar’s footpace are in good, stable condition and only require cleaning. Those on the principal floor of the sanctuary are chipped in places and the Pooil Vaaish limestone border and steps have suffered losses: the surfaces are dirty and there is residual carpet glue (against which cleaning trials were undertaken) but there is no salt efflorescence.
It is proposed to remove all carpet adhesive mechanically using a sharp window-scraper, followed by cleaning with water, a mild, non-ionised detergent and nylon brushes. Repairs will follow to those tiles and Pooil Vaaish steps and borders which require them.
Figure 11. Carpet adhesive on the Pooil Vaaish sanctuary steps; the generally good condition of the Sanctuary floor. [Cliveden Conservation]
The oak panelling in the sanctuary, nave and south transept varies in construction details and condition. Permission was granted to remove one or two small sections in the sanctuary, to see if the apse murals extended behind it (which they do.) These sections have been fixed back. The carved ornamentation is in elm.
Henning Schulze of Lincoln Conservation assessed the panelling and has recommended that no chemical timber treatments or wall irrigation measures are required but that at a future date the grounds of the panelling should be checked. Permission is sought here for minor repairs to chips and other losses and expert cleaning on account of damage suffered from bat urine. The rehanging of the Family Pew doors and the restoration of the panelling supporting them is also proposed.
Figure 12. The panelling in the Nave; the Reading Desk; the Canons’ Stalls in the Sanctuary. [RP]
The four canons’ stalls and the Reading Desk and its prayer desk in the north-west corner of the sanctuary require cleaning and minor repair as described for the panelling.
The family pew has some distortion on account of the sagging door to the pew, which catches. The rehanging of the Family Pew doors and the restoration of the panelling supporting them is proposed.
Figure 13. The Family Pew and the Sanctuary Murals. [RP]
Now that the undated murals in the Sanctuary have been uncovered, they have been monitored for salt efflorescence, which has been cleaned off without returning. It is proposed to leave these unpainted and unrestored, with only conservation as required to render the surviving decoration clean and stable. The original brass rail will be restored and put back, and the murals will be curtained as they were for most of the 20th century.
There is historical ironmongery to the north transept door, including its fly screen. The oakcased rim lock and hinges all appear to be original. It is proposed to clean and restore these.
The walls of the chapel are currently painted in two schemes of non-breathable alkyd paints and its paint stratigraphy has been studied and recorded by Paul Croft of Lincoln Conservation. The proposal is to remove the alkyd paint layers entirely while, if possible, leaving the layers of distemper beneath. All the walls – including the window reveals but not including the murals in the sanctuary nor the walls behind the Commandment and Prayer Boards – are to be repainted in breathable casein distemper. The selected colour is Egyptian Grey from Rose of Jericho, a colour close to the earliest scheme revealed by inspection of the paint stratigraphy, areas where paint has been removed and the walls behind the Commandment and Prayer Boards. It is best described as a warm stone colour.
Figure 14. Painted and digital samples of Egyptian Grey casein distemper. [Rose of Jericho]
Figure 15. Sample of Egyptian Grey casein distemper in the nave. [RP]
The oak roof has been damaged internally by water ingress (a problem which will be corrected as the roof is cleaned of moss and the lead rolls replaced and provided with bat roosts, for which permission was granted in applications 21/01416/CON and 21/01414/GB and by the Archdeacon of Man on the 4th of December 2025.) These may also be caused by wind-driven rain from the North. There are white salt deposits, possibly suggesting some boards and their fixings will need replacing. It is proposed to replace any rotten sections of sarking board or internal timber by splicing in as appropriate, but where possible re-staining bleached sections in a linseed oil stain to match the existing will be preferred. It is also proposed to survey the ceiling and its timbers when restoration work begins and to stabilise any elements which have compromised.2
Figure 16. The roof above the north side of the Sanctuary. [Lincoln Conservation]
The historical cast-iron heating pipes run throughout the nave and sanctuary. These are in tolerable condition but require cleaning, repair and restoration, with an updating of their valves and controls and repainting.
The chapel is served by three lighting circuits: three pendant fittings; two wall lights with surface-mounted conduits on the west wall and a number of uplighters on the wall-plate. There is a reading lamp built into the pulpit lectern (with a push-button on the lamps itself) and an organist’s light (also with a push-button.) There are three existing power sockets. There is a spur for the organ and another (with switch) for the uplighting. The pendant and wall lights are switched from the Ante-Chapel. There are two wall-mounted PIR sensors.
The current scheme does not serve the space well, either aesthetically or practically. The following improvements are proposed:
Remove the modern pendant fittings and re-instate the original copper pan lights, with three bulbs each. These – and all other bulbs in the chapel – to be warm yellow, traditional bulbs on dimmer switches.
Remove the pair of modern wall-lights and replace them with the original copper fittings.
Remove the uplighters on the ceiling, which bleach out the atmosphere in the chapel and which are not in line with current ideas about conservation lighting in churches, for which low level atmospheric and task lighting is preferred, with the upper reaches of the space in darkness, the contrast between light and shadow giving a greater impression of size and quietness.
Re-introduce the brass wall lights historically at the crossing, but wired for electricity rather than fuelled by the original paraffin. Their silk conduits will be surface-mounted.
liturgical practice: tungsten xenon uplighters have been used, low down, to mimic candlelight, with the ceiling in near darkness. [RP]
Introduce battery-powered reading lamps (non-wired and not fixed) with glass-shaded candleholders above, in the following locations:
2no prayer desk lamps at the Family Pew, which is otherwise in darkness. 5no prayer desk lamps to the five prayer desks in the sanctuary, where it is otherwise difficult to read. 2no prayer desk lamps for the wardens’ pews. These lamps are to be designed in brass with padded clamps so that they may be fixed to the desks without screws.
Figure 19. Desk lamps with candles above and reading lights below. [Salisbury Cathedral]
1no music-desk light to the lectern, to be placed behind the book ahead of evening services.
The elm Altar has been altered and damaged over time: the most likely reasons were to enable the super-frontal to sit more tidily in the late 19th century and the adaptation of the altar to take the fixings for the posts supporting the dossal and riddel curtains in the mid-20th century. This is unfortunate, as both these changes could have been accommodated while retaining the original form of the altar, which it is now proposed that we restore.
Miss Wilks’s drawing of 1860 gives a clear picture of the original arrangement of the altar, which makes plain that the alteration involved removing the table-top and flipping it upside down: the surviving gothic version of a cavetto moulding is missing the ovolo moulding supporting it. The brackets on the front and sides of the Altar shows where this ovolo moulding was removed, its dovetail joints remaining. The proposal, therefore, is to remove the altar tabletop and put it back the original way up, and in elm re-make the missing ovolo moulding.
the ovolo moulding was removed; the photograph flipped, to show the altar’s top the right way around. [Lincoln Conservation]
To the back of the Altar, coarse softwood fixings have been added to push out the fixings for the curtain rails. It is proposed to remove this timber and fix the metal supports back new, protruding brackets. The altar’s instability is explained by the loss of the stretched which ran along the bottom at the back if it, and of the four uprights which joined this to the surviving upper frame. It is proposed to re-instate these – also in elm – in order to restore the Altar’s structural integrity.
To enable the vesting of the altar, a fair linen under-cloth sewn with a shaped border to fill out the moulded edge will be brought into use and allow the frontal to hang square.
The early 20th century gradine was lost at some point between 2007 and 2020. It was most likely the work of Kelly Brothers. Through the generosity of the Dean and Chapter of Peel Cathedral, a near-identical gradine which is no longer in use at the Cathedral has been offered to Bishopscourt on permanent loan and it is proposed to place this on the altar. Its carving is subtly different from the original gradine, but it is the same overall length because the altar at Peel appears also to be the work of Kelly Brothers and is a near-twin to that at Bishopscourt.
Figure 22. The gradine sent from Peel Cathedral.
The small credence table which stood on the south side of the altar was lost at some point after 1979. While its presence is known from earlier photographs – on account of the alms bason placed on it – its form is only just discernible in the 1936 photograph, which show it is a flattopped version of the adjacent prayer desks by Kelly Brothers. It is proposed to design and make a new credence table based on the details of these surviving pieces of furniture. It is proposed to introduce a second credence table to the north side of the Sanctuary so that there is enough space to clear the altar after Holy Communion for a large congregation.
Figure 23. The lost credence table (with an alms bason on it) seen to the right of the archdeacon’s prayer-des in 1936.. [Historic England]
The Bishop’s throne and prayer desk and the canons’ two prayer desks need conservation and repair, with correction to shrinkage-related splits, re-fixing of finials, renewal of historic repairs which have failed and the replacement of a missing lamb’s head to the bishop’s throne. All these pieces require cleaning and some in-painting to damaged varnish.
It is proposed to replace the missing Archdeacon’s chair with something similar to its original, gable-backed shape, and to make a new prayer desk to match the bishop’s and restore symmetry to the Sanctuary.
Figure 24. The second episcopal chair and prayer desk. [RP]
The painted metal, oak-framed Commandments and Prayer Boards have been damaged by bat urine and require specialist cleaning and touch-ups.
Figure 25. The Commandment Boards: the Creed on the south board. [RP]
The sanctuary banners just visible in the 1860 sketch have been remade in painted metal by conservation decorator Marta Sledz, referencing the decorative details on the Commandment and Prayer Boards adjacent to them. It is proposed to hang these in their original positions with new fixings adjacent to the old, to a structural engineer’s detail. The text is as follows:
Lefthand Banner: He that cometh to Me shall never hunger3 Middle Banner: The Dayspring from on High hath visited us4 Righthand Banner: He who believeth on Me shall never thirst5 Figure 26. The new painted metal banners. [Marta Sledz]
The proposal is to remove modern layers of decoration and to paint them in a new, polychrome scheme to match the Sanctuary tiles. This is to be done in linseed oil paint.
Figure 27. Polychrome paint scheme for the Sanctuary Railings [Rupert Powell & Daniel Lyon]
This is in good condition, but dirty. The recommendation by Lincoln Conservation is for dry cleaning using smoke sponges followed by wet cleaning using soft nylon brushes and water with Vulpex detergent, followed by a final steam-cleaning.
It is also proposed to clean and restore the brass lectern and its light, and the brass candleholder – this is missing a drop-in drip-tray and candle holder, which will be made in brass.
Figure 28. The later 19th century Caen stone pulpit on its extended section of sanctuary floor. [RP]
The author is indebted to the following friends of the project for being so generous with their time, ideas and advice:
Dr Peter Davey for questions on geology and on medieval and early modern history at Bishopscourt and on the Isle of Man more generally.
Mr Philip Davies of St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, for extensive advice on the details and practicalities of liturgical, legal, maintenance and governance questions relating to the chapel.
The Very Rev. Victor Stock for kindly answering pastoral and theological questions.
RC: Royal Collection BM: British Museum NPG: National Portrait Gallery NG: National Gallery MM: Manx Museum RP: Rupert Powell
Figure 29. The Grace, from A Series of Compositions from the Liturgy by John Bell, 1844.
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