Chappel

Chappel is a place name of English origin that may refer to several locations in the United Kingdom and to a surname. The most widely known use is Chappel, a village and civil parish in Essex, England.

In Essex, the parish is part of the Braintree district and is commonly identified as Chappel and Wakes Colne, reflecting its historical association with the nearby village of Wakes Colne. The settlement lies in a rural area along the Colne Valley and features the typical rural character of the region, with a parish church and a history tied to local agriculture and small-scale industry. A notable landmark associated with Chappel is the Chappel Viaduct, a historic brick railway viaduct linked to the heritage and former railway lines that traversed the valley.

Etymology and spelling distinctions reflect its origins. The name Chappel derives from the Old English chapel, which itself traces back to the Late Latin cappella, denoting a site associated with a chapel or a chapel-like building. The spelling “Chappel” is an archaic variant of “Chapel” that persists in some place names and as a surname.

Outside Essex, there are smaller hamlets and historic localities in Britain that have used the name Chappel. The term also appears as a surname of English origin, indicating ancestral associations with a chapel or a locality bearing that name.

See also: Chapel.