YorkshireSNAPEChapelStMary(sarahcrosslandSTAFF)1 SarahCrossland

Chapel of St Mary

A hidden gem on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, home to Katherine Parr before her marriage to Henry VIII.

Snape, Yorkshire

Opening times

The chapel is open daily throughout the year.

Address

The Avenue
Snape
Yorkshire
DL8 2TJ

The history of the chapel is inextricably linked to the history of the castle itself. A manor house built by Lord Ranulph Fitzranulph, Lord of Middleham in about 1250 is believed to have stood on the site of the castle. The castle is believed to have been built between 1426 – 1450 by George Neville. 

In 1534 Katherine Parr, aged 21, became the third wife of John Neville, 3rd Lord Latimer and lived in Snape Castle as stepmother to his two children. During the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, Lord Latimer was kidnapped by the rebels. Katherine and her step children were held hostage by the rebels at Snape Castle. After Lord Latimer’s death in 1543, she became the sixth wife Henry VIII in 1543. In 1577 the castle passed, through the marriage of Dorothy, one of four daughters of the fourth and last Lord Latimer, to Thomas Cecil, second Lord Burghley and afterwards the 1st Earl of Exeter. By 1587 he had enlarged the towers and transformed Snape Castle into an Elizabethan quadrangular style residence.

In the late 17th a fresco was painted by the Italian artist Antonio Verrio on the ceiling of the chapel. Unfortunately, the condition of the fresco quickly deteriorated and only parts of the original can be seen, what it could have looked like can be seen at Burghley House. In 1798 the castle passed into the hands of the Milbank family of neighbouring Thorp Perrow. The greater part of the castle fell into ruinous condition during the 18th and 19th centuries. The south range was saved and restored in the late 19th century, much as we today.

The Milbanks restored the chapel first in 1837 and again in 1887 but it remained very much a domestic chapel to the Castle. In 1926 The Thorp Perrow estate was broken up and the Chapel was sold on to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for £305 to become a place of public worship. It was then and still is a Chapel of Ease to the parish church of Well with Snape, St Michael’s in Well.

  • Enchanting atmosphere

  • National heritage here

  • Accessible toilets nearby

  • Café within 500m

  • Dog friendly

  • On street parking at church

  • Steps to enter the church or churchyard

  • Walkers & cyclists welcome

  • We are part of the parish of Well with Snape and hold services on alternate Sundays. The 2nd Sunday in Snape is Holy Communion at 10.45am and 4th Sunday is an Evening Service at either 6.30pm or 4pm dependent on British Summer Time.

  • Church of England

  • Foundation Grant, £5,000, 2022

  • Our Foundation Grants fund urgent maintenance work and small repairs to help keep churches open.

Contact information

Other nearby churches

St Mary the Virgin

Masham, Yorkshire

St Mary’s church was originally founded in the 7th century and was mentioned in the Domesday Book.

St Nicholas

West Tanfield, Yorkshire

The church is perpendicular in style.