Church Heritage Record 823014

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Great Ormond Street Hospital: Chapel of St Christopher

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Great Ormond Street Hospital: Chapel of St Christopher
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Chapel
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

823014
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

London
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Unattached or Closed Church
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Great Ormond Street Hospital: Chapel of St Christopher

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is a Grade II* Listed Building
View more information about this Listed Building on the National Heritage List for England web site
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Victorian/Pre-WWI

Exterior Image

Exterior image of the Chapel of St Christopher
Caption:

603242 

Exterior image of the Chapel of St Christopher
Description:

It seems to be the wrong photograph. Provided coordinates come up with another church on geograph.org.uk

Photograph of the entrance to the Chapel of St Christopher from within Great Ormond Street Hospital taken in February 2017.
Year / Date:

2011, April 06

2017
Copyright:

Keltek Trust

Stephen Makin
Originator:

Keltek Trust

Stephen Makin

Summary Description

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The Chapel of St Christopher, dedicated to the patron saint of children, is a unique Grade II listed Neo-Byzantine Chapel, situated in Great Ormond Street Hospital. The ornate interior décor includes stained glass depicting biblical scenes of children, murals of Christ with children and St Peter and St Paul, child-sized pews and the ‘teddy bear choir’ of donated stuffed toys. The Chapel boasts an impressive domed ceiling decorated with giltwork and mosaics, whilst the terrazzo flooring is said to be modelled on St Mark’s in Venice. Memorial plaques are present for two of the hospital’s most famous patrons, J.M. Barrie and Charles Dickens

Visiting and Facilities

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The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

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Sources and Further Information

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R. Asquith, J. Moore & H. Mead (2017) Canon Clarke Project Research Report pages 50 to 54 [Digital Archive/Document]
Canon Clarke Project Research Report
Stephen Makin (2017) Exterior image of the Chapel of St Christopher [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Exterior image of the Chapel of St Christopher
Stephen Makin (2017) Interior image of the Chapel of St Christopher [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Interior image of the Chapel of St Christopher
James Miles (2018) Closed Churches [Digital Archive/Data]

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TQ 304 820

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

Great London Authority:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Greater London Authority

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

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Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

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Dimensions

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

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Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

The Chapel of St Christopher was built in 1875 and designed by Edward Middleton Barry, himself the son of the architect Charles Barry who co-designed the Houses of Parliament. It is dedicated to the memory of Caroline, the wife of his eldest brother, William, who provided a donation of £40,000 for the work along with a stipend to support the chaplain.

Whilst Great Ormond Street Hospital was built in 1852, little of the old hospital originally surrounding the chapel survives as it was demolished as part of rebuilding and expansion work in 1990. As the chapel was protected by its Grade II listed status, it was preserved and moved to the new hospital in ‘an impressive feat of engineering’. The chapel was first encased in a waterproof box and internally braced, before being lowered down from the first floor, then moved along via a huge concrete raft, greased rollers and hydraulic rams to reach its current location. The restored chapel was opened along with the rest of the new hospital building in 1994, by Diana, Princess of Wales.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

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Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
ANGLICAN CHAPEL (19th Century)
DOME
FLOOR
PILLAR

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Collapse Building MaterialsBuilding Materials
GOLD
MARBLE

Interior Image

Interior image of the Chapel of St Christopher
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Interior image of the Chapel of St Christopher
Description:
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Photograph of the interior of the Chapel of St Christopher in Great Ormond Street Hospital looking towards the altar taken in February 2017.
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
2017
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Stephen Makin
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Stephen Makin

Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The Chapel of St Christopher is a small but impressive chapel dedicated to the patron saint of children. Decorated lavishly in the Neo-Byzantine style, the ornate interior décor uses giltwork, marble, mosaics and terrazzo flooring which combine to produce an effect that dazzles the eyes. However, there are reminders everywhere that despite its impressive interior, this is a children’s Chapel. The stained glass depicts biblical scenes of children including the nativity and the murals depict Christ, St Peter and St Paul surrounded by children. Most poignantly, the ‘teddy bear choir’ of memorial stuffed toys and the miniature child-sized pews demonstrate who the chapel was built to be used by.

Another touching feature of the hospital is the memorial plaque to J.M. Barrie, dedicated after his death in 1938. Barrie generously supported the hospital and helped safeguard its future through leaving the rights of his most famous book, Peter Pan, to Great Ormond Street in his will in 1929. A plaque was also unveiled in 1994 to Charles Dickens, a staunch supporter of the old hospital since it was first established in 1852, and who lived nearby in Tavistock Square. Dickens many charitable causes for children because of the high child mortality rates in London. During his lifetime, he ran many fundraising events and appeals to provide for the hospital financially and wrote articles in its support.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR RAIL
COMMEMORATIVE OBJECT (20th Century to 21st Century)
MOSAIC
PEW (COMPONENT)
PLAQUE (COMPONENT) (19th Century to 20th Century)
STAINED GLASS (WINDOW)
WALL PAINTING

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

Work in progress - can you help?

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TQ 304 820

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Chapel.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Chapel.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Chapel.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

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Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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The churchyard does not have war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Chapel.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Chapel.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Chapel

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

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Setting Significance Description:
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Fabric Significance Level:
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Fabric Significance Description:
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Interior Significance Level:
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Interior Significance Description:
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Community Significance Level:
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Community Significance Description:
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Church Renewables

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Species Summary

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All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Chapel . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

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If any of the following species have been seen close to the Chapel, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Chapel, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Chapel. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Chapel and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Chapel, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

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WhoActionWhen
Julie PatenaudeModified asset dataFri 16 Jun 2017 17:42:11
Julie PatenaudeModified asset dataWed 14 Jun 2017 14:41:45
Julie PatenaudeModified asset dataThu 09 Mar 2017 17:30:53
Julie PatenaudeAdded image of the interior of the buildingMon 20 Feb 2017 18:31:00
Julie PatenaudeAdded image of the exterior of the buildingMon 20 Feb 2017 18:28:26
Julie PatenaudeAdded interior feature typeWed 15 Feb 2017 15:10:13
Julie PatenaudeAdded interior feature typeWed 15 Feb 2017 15:09:27
Julie PatenaudeAdded interior feature typeWed 15 Feb 2017 15:09:18
Julie PatenaudeAdded building material typeWed 15 Feb 2017 15:08:34
Julie PatenaudeAdded building material typeWed 15 Feb 2017 15:08:10
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