The farm Rainhill,
situated only 4 km out of Rustenburg, is rich in character and seeped in history
dating from the early 1900's. To complement this, a new addition has been
built, namely The Chapel.
Simon Hartley
designed and built the Chapel in such a way that one always feels part of
the natural surroundings even while seated inside. The Chapel is situated
at the foot of the Magaliesburg mountains and during its construction as little
as possible of the natural vegetation was removed or damaged. The front of
the Chapel boasts a huge clear glass window in the shape of a cross, allowing
a magnificent view of the trees and Magaliesburg mountain. A further feature
is the building style of the Chapel. Rainhill Chapel has been built in the
'wattle and daub' style, which uses bluegum poles built into the walls as
supports. These poles then have a thatch core constructed between them onto
which mud is plastered. This building style is in keeping with that used on
the rest of the farm since the 1930's and which gives Rainhill Farm its "olde-world"
charm.
At the back
of the Chapel, over the main entrance, is a wooden gallery. The finishing
touches are provided by the wooden pews and copper light fittings, all of
which were handmade on the farm. The bluegum poles supporting the walls and
roof, as well as the Jacaranda wood for the window sills and Silver Oak for
the altar top, were all cut from trees grown on Rainhill Farm.
This is a truly "hand made" chapel and special wedding or baptism venue.