JABBERWOCKY: Watts Cemetary Chapel

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Watts Cemetary Chapel

This weekend I headed south to Compton a lovely little village just south of Guildford and discovered this ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL place..........Watts Cemetary Chapel.......designed by Mary Watts the wife of Victorian artist George Watts (his newly refurbished and re-opened gallery is also in Compton and well worth a visit)

The outside is decorated with terraotta mouldings.....I really liked these owls!

Beautiful faces..................

The entrance door surrounded by a choir of 15 angels.................

.....and then the inside..............OH MY!!!

Designed to represent The Tree of Life it is covered with BEAUTIFUL 3D raised decoration.....my pics don't do it justice.

This is the celing...............

Back outside in the GLORIOUS October sunshine there were some lovely tombstones in the graveyard.......here's just a few of them.

If you get chance to go please do, it was fantastic.

14 comments:

Carol Q said...: wow Sue, the skill, artistry and knowledge of craft is stunning, just beautiful.; 2 October 2011 at 19:11
Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...: Wow what a stunning place, fabulous architecture and the inside is breathtaking. Sounds like you had a great time. Tracy x; 2 October 2011 at 19:19
Sarah Anderson said...: Oh wow! This looks amazing! I love the texture on the outside, and the roundness of it. I can imagine it is truly stunning to walk around. Fab owls, and love those angel gravestones. Thanks for taking such great photos :) And see you soon I hope!!; 2 October 2011 at 20:59
Effie said...: What a fabulous discovery!; 2 October 2011 at 23:18
Machele O'Dufaigh said...: Stunningly beautiful! I can only imagine how actually being in this marvelous place must fill up your senses. The sculpting has the softer more feminine lines of a female designer. Each one of those soulful faces looks different. A truly amazing place! Sue you've done a perfect job capturing it in pictures.; 3 October 2011 at 09:54
olive said...: oohhh how fantastic. what an amazing place. glad you had a great weekend. xx

trust you to find owls!!!; 3 October 2011 at 10:15
johanna said...: this is exactly right up my alley!! wish i could go there... wonderful photos, sue!!; 3 October 2011 at 12:26
Sarah said...: wow!

I will put this on my list of places to visit!

I wonder if it's a National Trust / English Heritage property? Off to Google....; 3 October 2011 at 14:13
Photocat said...: I will. Go I mean. Always in for a lovely cemetery! Thanks for sharing that one. Lovely.; 3 October 2011 at 14:42
JoZart Designs said...: That is so amazingly different. You really do find some gems and I really enjoy seeing your finds. Thanks so much!
JoZarty x; 3 October 2011 at 17:02
Lynne Phelps said...: GORGEOUS, absolutely exquisite. THANKS so much for sharing this lovely place. The artwork had such an organic, flowing feeling, a blend of the best of Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts movements. Just lovely! And how totally awesome that it was designed by a woman. Those tombstones with the angels almost sheltering the dead were particularly touching, and owls and faces are wonderful!; 3 October 2011 at 18:01
Siobhan Brignull said...: oh wow that is stunning and your photographs are fantastic, tis truly beautiful, thanks for showing us..x; 3 October 2011 at 21:42
Artyjen said...: Wow! You do find some wonderful places to visit ;)
Thanks for sharing
xoxo Sioux; 5 October 2011 at 09:40
Lynn Stevens said...: What an amazing place that must be, I'm sure you found lots of inspiration there!; 7 October 2011 at 15:11