Chappel
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Chappel is a village and civil parish in the City of Colchester district of Essex, England. The River Colne flows through the village. It is significant for its Victorian viaduct, which crosses the Colne valley. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 530.
Chappel is a village and civil parish in the City of Colchester district of Essex, England. The River Colne flows through the village. It is significant for its Victorian viaduct, which crosses the Colne valley. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 530.
Chappel Viaduct
The Chappel viaduct was built between 1847 and 1849 for the Colchester and Stour extension of the Eastern Counties Railway. Originally planned to be a timber structure, the viaduct was built of locally made brick because of the additional cost of maintaining a timber structure. Approximately 600 men were involved in the construction, most of whom were local East Anglians. The cost of construction was approximately £21,000 (approximately £2.2 million in 2016 money). The viaduct consists of 32 arches of span, with a total length of , and a maximum height of . The piers consist of two shafts, separated by a opening, and joined at top and bottom by arches; each shaft contain a hollow void by maximum, partially filled with concrete to the level of the bottom arch. The running level of the viaduct has a gradient of 1 in 120 The viaduct became a listed monument in 1967, and is thought to be one of the largest brick-built structures in England after Ouse Valley Viaduct in Sussex and Battersea Power Station. During the commemoration events to mark 50 years since the end of the Second World War, Chappel's beacon was transported by rail to a point on the viaduct where it could be seen from the playing field below, and lit after a ceremonial silence, the beginning and end of which were marked by the release of two maroons. The first passenger train to Sudbury, carrying an official party from Colchester, ran on 2 July 1849. The viaduct currently carries the Marks Tey to Sudbury branch railway (Gainsborough Line), which connects regularly with trains to and from London's Liverpool Street Station.
Amenities
The village has a pub dating from the 14th century, a parish church, a United Reformed church, a post office and general store, village hall and a railway station, Chappel and Wakes Colne station, which houses the East Anglian Railway Museum. It also has a children's play area which was upgraded in 2007-08 by Chappel Parish Council. In celebration of the millennium, the Chappel Millennium Green was opened. The Millennium Green has two areas: a nature reserve with board walk and a mown grass area for general recreation is bordered by a gravel path. It has also hosted several events, including the burning of a beacon and Colne Valley Festival events.
Notable former residents
Margery Allingham (1904–1966), author of fiction, mainly crime and mystery novels. "Pontisbright", the old name for Chappel, is used as a place-name in her 1933 novel Sweet Danger. Al Barnes (born 19681), former guitarist in the seminal Black Metal Band Venom.
References
External links
Chappel Parish Council website Football team Views of the village and railway Chappel Beer Festival Information Page Wakes Colne and Chappel churches
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340628090 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.