A chapel of ease is a church building other than the main church of a parish which is more accessible to some parishoners than the main church. Such a chapel may exist, for example, when a parish covers several dispersed villages.
The term covers both chapels purposely built as chapels of ease, and buildings which used to be the main parish church building until a larger building was constructed. For example, the small village of Norton, Hertfordshire contains the mediaeval church of St Nicholas, which served it adequately for centuries. But when the large new town of Letchworth was built, partly within the parish, St Nicholas's became too small to serve the increased population. This led to the building of a new main church building for the parish, and St Nicholas's became a chapel of ease.
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the main church of a parish which is more accessible to some parishoners than the main church.
The term covers both chapels purposely built as chapels of ease, and buildings which used to be the main parishchurch building until a larger building was constructed.
This led to the building of a new main church building for the parish, and St Nicholas's became a chapel of ease.
Following the Restoration, the Chapel was adopted by the Church of England as a Chapel of Ease in the charge of the Vicar of Wisbech St. Peter until 1854, when Wisbech St. Mary was created a separate parish.
The area around the Chapel was consecrated as a burial ground by the Bishop of Ely in 1840.
In 1973 the Friends of the Guyhirn Chapel of ease was formed under the presidency of Sir John Betjeman, the Poet Laureate, who on his death was succeeded by the well known author Edward Storey.
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