Perched above Bradford-on-Avon, the Chapel of St Mary Tory has drawn pilgrims and poets for centuries. John Leland clocked it in 1533; John Aubrey swooned over its ‘neate chapell’ and ‘vineyard potential’ a century later. Its origins are murky, but records suggest a long-standing blend of sanctuary and stopover for weary souls en route to Canterbury.
The current stone structure hails from the late 15th or early 16th century, though time and gravity had their way by 1877. Enter Mr T. B. Saunders QC with a perpendicular-style rescue mission, later joined by stained glass artist Mark Angus, whose 1999 east window quietly dazzles with its symbolic rosa alba.
Still open for worship and quiet contemplation, the chapel is part of the Small Pilgrim Places network. The hill’s a climb, but worth it—views, history and a touch of hermit mystique all included.
THE CHAPEL IS OPEN FROM 10.OO a.m. to 5.00 p.m. DAILY
