Wayside Chapel

Wayside Chapel is a small house of worship at some frequented place on a public highway, formerly resorted to on pilgrimage, or as a place of safety by pilgrims. "These buildings were commonly attached to bridges at the entrance of towns as at Rochester, Stamford, Elvet, Durham, Exeter, Newcastle, and London. Two still exist at Castle Barnard and Wakefield, the latter being of the 14th century. It has a remarkable carving of the Resurrection. In France, Switzerland, and Italy they are still common; there is a good example at Pisa, about 1230. They were frequented sometimes as objects of pilgrimages, but more commonly by pilgrims going and returning from a shrine, and by ordinary travellers when the dangers of the highway and bypaths were considerable. Until recent times the bishop of Chichester was met at St. Roche's Hill by the civic authorities, on his return from Parliament, to congratulate him upon his safe arrival home."