Stonemasonry Prize awarded to Lancing Chapel

The Friends of Lancing Chapel are delighted to have been awarded the ‘New Build in Traditional Style Stonemasonry’ award at the Natural Stone Awards held in London last December.

The award, given by the Stone Federation of Great Britain, recognised ‘the addition of an elegant arcaded porch and extended buttresses’ to Lancing Chapel. The citation said: ‘The Judges were thoroughly impressed with this stunning project, noting how the new porch blends with the chapel’s existing Gothic architecture. The workmanship is well executed, with a wide variance of colour and hue used, as with the original. The tracery and balusters used on the upper terrace were also very well delivered.’

Jeremy Tomlinson, Steward of Lancing Chapel, attended the awards ceremony, along with the Architect, Michael Drury, the Quantity Surveyor, Jeff Weeks, Adam Stone, CEO and representatives from Chichester Stoneworks, the contractors who built the porch, and the proprietor of the Doulting Stone Quarry which provided the natural stone.

Mr Tomlinson commented: ‘The west wall and rose window won the same award in 1978 and it is a great tribute to the design and quality of this final stage of the construction of the Chapel that is has been recognised in this way. It has also won the Sussex Heritage Trust Award for new Ecclesiastical Building. We are incredibly grateful to all our donors and everyone who contributed to the building.’