March 2023
The Chapel at Ridley Hall: plans initiated for the future
Simplicity and elegance - the Ridley Hall Chapel at the heart of our community
“I am very thankful indeed thus far for the benefit which the chapel proves to be.”
Revd H C G Moule, Report to Ridley Hall Council, 4th May 1892
The gratitude of Ridley Hall’s first principal, which was recorded in the year of the Chapel’s dedication, has been echoed down the years by many other students and staff from the college.
For over 130 years the chapel has been at the heart of the community here at Ridley Hall, and many of you who are reading this will have fond memories of this sacred space.
The building itself is a beautiful example of Victorian Gothic architecture, and in keeping with the vision of those who built it, it has both a simplicity and elegance which successive stewards of this place have tried to maintain to this day. The interior retains its original white walls but now has cushioned chairs instead of the original wooden pews. The nave is separated from the chancel by a wooden screen, and the altar is made of stone with a beautiful reredos depicting the Last Supper.
The maintenance and daily life of the chapel is currently overseen by our chaplains, Ian and Gail Adams. As part of their responsibilities Ian and Gail are now bringing together a team to identify the work that we need to do to keep the chapel in good condition, and to ensure it is fit for purpose for future generations. We will be bringing you more news on our plans for the care and upkeep of the chapel in the coming months.
What are your memories of the chapel?
As we have been thinking about the chapel and its place in our community, we’ve been struck by the stories people have already shared with us about their memories of this space, and the impact it has had on them.
If you have been part of our community in any way, and would like to share your memories please do drop Andrew Chamberlain a line at development@ridley.cam.ac.uk and let us know about the impact the chapel has had on your life. We may use some of these words, in an anonymised form, to encourage and inform others about the life and role of the chapel in our community, and our plans to maintain and enhance its role in our community.
We will keep you informed about what will be doing to maintain the chapel as a sacred, accessible space for everyone. Some of this will be maintenance work, but we are also thinking about how to make the chapel more available for all of our community.
In the meantime, if you’d like to make a donation specifically for the benefit of the chapel you can do so by sending us a cheque payable to ‘Ridley Hall’, and including a note to indicate that the funds are for this purpose, or you can donate to us online and leave a message to indicate that your gift is for the chapel.
Photo gallery of the Ridley Chapel windows
For more information on the history of the Chapel windows, see the Historical Tour. Photographs are by the Revd Stephen Day (Ry 2002-05). For the original photographs see his stained glass windows album.
