Monument MPM1547 - Our Lady of Close's Chapel, Portsmouth

Chapel dedicated to the Blessed Mary of Close, shown on a 16th century map of Portsmouth. Called Our Lady of Close's Chapel, but also referred to as St Mary's Chapel. The date the chapel was founded is not known, although sources suggest the chapel was in existance by the 1320s and that it may have dated to as early as the 1200s. The chapel appears to have disappeared by the late-1600s as Colewort Barracks are said to have been built on/near the site.

A chapel dedicated to the Blessed Mary of Close, called Our Lady of Close's Chapel, is known from historical sources to have once stood in the north-west corner of the old town of Portsmouth. The chapel is also referred to as St Mary's Chapel. The date the chapel was founded is not known, but a building called 'La of Closse Chappel' is shown on a copy of an 'Ancient Plan of the Town of Portsmouth made in the reign of Queen Elizabeth' which appears in East. The town plan is stated as having been 'traced from the Cottonian M.S. Aug A.I. in the British Museum by F.M. 1830'. [1] The chapel is thought to have been situated on the east side of the former St Mary's Street/Highbury Street (now demolished), in an area later occupied by Colewort Barracks. Therefore, the chapel must have been destroyed/demolished before c.1694 when the barracks were built. The area is now a housing estate.

A 19th century Chapel of Ease of the same name was erected near the site [MPM397]. This second chapel was demolished during the early-20th century.

According to Anthony Howell, a Close called Chapel Close or Chapel Green, 'anciently connected with the Chapel' was situated nearby. Gates states that Chapel Green was the name given to the 'waste lands surrounding the ruins of the ancient Chapel of St. Mary, Portsmouth'. [2, 3]

An Extensive Urban Survey of Hampshire's Historic Towns states that documentary sources indicated the chapel was in existence by 1324, and that it may have been used by a Gild Merchant known to have been operating in Portsmouth from the mid-13th century. According to the survey a building called the 'New Armoury' marked on a map dated 1762 was situated in approximately the same location as the chapel, as shown on earlier maps. [4]

Russ Fox's report on excavations in the coalyard of the former Portsmouth Power Station site in 1984 [EPM12] states that a chapel dedicated to St Mary was built in 1320 within the northern part of the town where the excavations took place. No evidence of a chapel was found within the limits of the excavation. The only evidence of medieval occupation recorded were four small sherds of 13th-14th century domestic coarseware. [5]

<1> East, Robert, 1891, Extracts from the Portsmouth Records (Bibliographic reference). SPM279.

<2> Illustrated History of Portsmouth, 1900, Gates, William G (Bibliographic reference). SPM281.

<3> Howell, Alexander, 1913, Notes on the Topography of Portsmouth (Bibliographic reference). SPM280.

<4> Edwards, Bob, 1999, An Extensive Urban Survey of Hampshire's Historic Towns: Historic Portsmouth Archaeological Assessment Document (Bibliographic reference). SPM511.

<5> Hampshire County Council, 1986, Archaeology in Hampshire Annual Report for 1984-1985 (Bibliographic reference). SPM194.