Ilford Hospital Chapel
The Hospital Chapel of St Mary the Virgin and St Thomas of Canterbury, Ilford, also known as Ilford Hospital Chapel is on Ilford Hill in Ilford. It is an ancient charitable foundation dating from about 1140, and is the oldest building in the London Borough of Redbridge. Since 1954 it has been protected as a Grade II* listed building under UK legislation.
History
The hospital was built on the south side of
In 1173 Mary Becket was appointed Abbess. She was the sister of
In 1572 Elizabeth I granted the ownership of the foundation to
Chaplains of the hospital have included the writer
Structure
The complex consists of the chapel itself with almshouses on each side which were the quarters of the poor brethren and the chaplains. Under the Abbess Adelicia Charity the almshouses have been converted internally into modern flats.[1]
The chapel has rubble walls covered with cement; the roofs are tiled. The nave and chancel are believed to have been rebuilt during the 14th century.[10] The building underwent drastic Victorian attempts at restoration in 1889–90 when the north porch, organ chamber, south aisle, chapel and vestry were added and in the view of English Heritage, the nave was probably extended westwards.[10]
The chancel, 6.4 metres (21 ft) by 5 metres (16 ft), has an early 15th-century east window of three cinque-foiled lights all heavily restored. At the east end there are late 14th or early 15th century windows in the north and south walls. The remaining details are from the 19th century or later. The only ancient details of the six-bay nave, 19.8 metres (65 ft), by 5 metres (16 ft) are two heavily restored windows, probably early 14th-century, and two trefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head.[10] The reredos is by Ninian Comper. The rose window over the west door is attributed to Henry Holiday, and the west aisle window is by Edward Burne-Jones.[5] The organ was installed in the early 20th century. The chaplain's house and almshouses were rebuilt in 1927.[10]
Public access
There is a midday Communion service every Thursday.[11] The chapel has an open day on the second Saturday of each month from March to November inclusive,[12] and takes part in the annual London Open House weekend in September.[13]
Gallery
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Lady Chapel
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Reredos
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Window, south aisle
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g "History" Archived 3 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Ilford Hospital Chapel, retrieved 13 November 2014
- ^ a b Weinreb, p. 427
- ^ Dugdale, p. 628
- ^ a b c d Lysons, p. 106
- ^ a b "Chapel, Ilford Hospital of St Mary and St Thomas of Canterbury, Redbridge", British Listed Buildings, retrieved 13 November 2014
- ^ Davies, C S L "Allen, Bennet (bap. 1736, d. 1819)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, retrieved 13 November 2014 (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ^ Norgate, G Le G, rev Parvin Loloi. "Reynolds, James (1805–1866)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, retrieved 13 November 2014 (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ^ "Bishop Hensley Henson – Master of Dialectic", The Times, 29 September 1947, p. 27
- ^ "Canon W J Sparrow Simpson", The Times, 18 March 1952, p. 8
- ^ a b c d "An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex, Volume 2: Central and South West", English Heritage, retrieved 13 November 2014
- ^ "Services" Archived 13 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Ilford Hospital Chapel, retrieved 13 November 2014
- ^ "Visit" Archived 13 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Ilford Hospital Chapel, retrieved 13 November 2014
- ^ "The Hospital Chapel of St Mary & St Thomas" Archived 13 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Open House London, retrieved 13 November 2014
References
- Dugdale, William (1830). Monasticon Anglicanum. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown. OCLC 3337894.
- Lysons, Daniel (1796). The Environs of London. London: Cadell. OCLC 316530355.
- Weinreb, Ben; et al. (2008). The London Encyclopaedia. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5.