The Burges Chapel

This intimate private chapel is inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

It was designed by William Burges for the 3rd Marquess of Bute in 1873. Burges had been employed by Lord Bute on the fantastical rebuilding of Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch in South Wales, but this was his only architectural work at Mount Stuart.

A project very close to Lord Bute’s heart, the initial sketch designs for the friezes depicting processions of saints came from his own hand. The highly decorated alter stands on a base painted with maps of the Holy Land and contains a collection of stones Bute himself had gathered from Holy Places around the world.

All the family’s important services took place in this Chapel; on Christmas Day 1875 the Christening of Bute's first child, Margaret, was performed here and one Sunday in 1876 Prince Leopold, a son of Queen Victoria, attended vespers. The beautiful chapel was fortunate enough to escape the damage of the fire that swept through Mount Stuart in 1877, and was one of the few parts of the original structure that was retained in the new Mount Stuart building.

Look out for …
The Chapel features a mirrored floor installation, created by artists Langlands and Bell as part of the Mount Stuart Visual Arts Programme in 2004.
See more about this work here.

Mount Stuart, Britain’s most astounding Victorian gothic house