Mount Stewart Chapel

This is a part of Mount Stewart House I have never shown you and it a very peaceful place to visit. Below is a view from the door.  In 1854, Frederick, 4th Marquess of Londonderry created this family chapel in memory of his father Charles, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, from a room which had been his father’s sitting room on the ground floor and bedroom above . 

The 2nd , 3rd , 6th and 7th Marquesses of Londonderry were all Knights of the Garter and the Garter Banners of the 2nd, 3rd and 6th are displayed in the Chapel, the originals in glass cases and replicas hanging as they would have done in Windsor Castle when each Marquess was alive. The garter banners are taken down from the Chapel in Windsor Castle when the knight dies and given to the family, unfortunately the banner of the 7th Marquess was lost before it reached the family.  Below is the view of some of the banners, the shield and entrance door.

I had to lie down on my back to get this shot 

however no one was there to see that!

 The stained glass windows above the altar were probably provided by one of several stained glass workshops in Belfast in the 1850s, possibly even the same firm that supplied the stained glass for the house in the late 1840s. It is a compilation of glass from various dates – mainly contemporary but the central panels on the right hand and left hand sides are from the medieval and late medieval period.  This left hand window above is Christ’s entombment . 

This is the central window and is of Christ's Crucifixion.

The stained glass was cleaned in 2008 as part of the 3 year restoration project. .

This right hand window depicts Adams and Eve‘s 

eviction from the Garden of Eden. 

The Chapel was consecrated in 1959 by the Bishop of Down and Connor.  Lady Rose, youngest daughter of Lady Mairi and granddaughter to Edith and Charles 7th Marquess, lives with her husband Mr Peter Lauritzen at Mount Stewart for 6 months of the year and takes communion every month in the Chapel. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing this beautiful Chapel at Mount Stewart House, near Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Many thanks for visiting and also to all who leave comments.