Church Heritage Record 823013

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The Royal Hospital Chelsea Chapel

Name:

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

The Royal Hospital Chelsea Chapel
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.

823013
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.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea Chapel

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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 I 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 in the following Conservation Area: Royal Hospital

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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.

Post Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

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Designed by and named after Britain’s most famous seventeenth-century architect, the Wren Chapel provides a place of spiritual respite for the equally famous Chelsea Pensioners. The marvellous space is overlooked by a glorious rendition of the resurrection of Christ by Sebastiano Ricci in Wren’s half-dome ceiling above the altar. With a 300 year history intimately connected with the retired veterans, the Wren Chapel is a poignant and contemplative place.

Visiting and Facilities

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The church is open for worship.
Open 10.00-16.00 every day of the week.
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

http://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/wren-chapel-1

Sources and Further Information

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R. Asquith, J. Moore & H. Mead (2017) Canon Clarke Project Research Report pages 19 to 20 [Digital Archive/Document]
Canon Clarke Project Research Report
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 280 781

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 Wren Chapel necessarily fits into the wider history of the Royal Hospital itself, which in turn can be placed in a wider and more ancient history of Christianity and charity in England. During the Middle Ages, hospitals varied wildly in who they would take care of, and for how long, but the primary focus was on spiritual rather than corporeal care: it was considered important to ensure that people were healthy in regard to their souls, and that physical health would follow, should it be the will of God. Hospitals and almshouses flourished, as the pious hoped those who were being cared for would pray for intercession on behalf of the founders. However, many of these foundations were swept away during the Reformation, especially as the doctrines of Purgatory and intercession were removed from mainstream religious teaching in England.

There was thus little in the way of established medical care in the early modern period, save for local doctors and physicians. During the reign of Elizabeth, statutes were passed that went some way to make provisions for veterans, but there was no institutional foundation that would actively take care of them. It was Charles II who took the necessary steps to create such a foundation, 'for the relief of such Land Souldiers as are, or shall be, old, lame, or infirm in ye service of the Crowne'. Although this was not a hospital in the medieval sense, the seventeenth century was still a highly-religious age as Wren's inclusion of the chapel attests. No longer would residents be expected to offer prayers to speed the soul of Charles through purgatory. Rather, the hospital chapel had taken on a different role in the post-medieval world.

In 1691, the Chapel along with its associated cemetery were consecrated by the Bishop of London, and it was established that two chaplains were to 'officiate here in Divine service'. The Chapel was designed to offer spiritual care and support, although as a separate entity within a hospital, the main emphasis of which was on corporeal care. A document survives in the British Library that lists the original purchase of religious books for the Hospital in 1688. Among the expenses are large and elaborately decorated books, clearly intended for display, but there is also a cost for 'Arming the forty eight Common Prayer Books with the King's cypher'. It seems that these books of prayer would have been modest, for use by individual Pensioners, which suggests an intimate, reassuring form of worship in the Chapel.

And so the Chapel continues as such to this day. Not only is it a grand architectural space for visitors to marvel at, but a functioning chapel to serve the many veterans cared for by the Hospital. It offers a place of reassurance and comfort for those who need it.

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 (17th Century)
APSE
CEILING
CHOIR
FLOOR
ORGAN LOFT
WALL
WINDOW

Building Materials

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

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MARBLE

Interior Image

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Interior Description

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

The original hospital buildings are to the designs of Christopher Wren. The chapel is situated in the middle section of the original hospital, which forms, with the great hall, a link between the two wings. The chapel and the hall mirror each other, in different directions either side of a vestibule. The ornamented ceiling of the chapel is vaulted in a semi-circular shape, and terminates at the east end with an half-dome apse. Large windows, semi-circular at the top, line the walls and are separated by pilasters with decorated capitals. All this is the work of Wren, and has remained unaltered since its construction, but the bosses on the ceiling are more modern. The walls are panelled from the floor up to the sill of the windows, which join a large reredos that lines the wall of the apse. At the west end is an organ gallery, carved in a similar style to the rest of the woodwork. The floor is of black and white marble squares, laid diagonally.

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
BOX PEW (17th Century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (18th Century to 21st Century)
REREDOS
STALL
WALL PAINTING (18th Century)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

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

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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 280 781

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.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Joseph EldersAdded image of the exterior of the buildingFri 10 Jan 2020 14:31:17
Julie PatenaudeModified asset dataFri 16 Jun 2017 17:41:22
Julie PatenaudeModified asset data - Modified the Church Website addressWed 14 Jun 2017 14:35:55
Julie PatenaudeModified asset dataWed 14 Jun 2017 14:34:50
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Conservation Area informationThu 23 Feb 2017 15:24:34
Julie PatenaudeAdded fabric typeMon 13 Feb 2017 16:41:57
Julie PatenaudeAdded fabric typeMon 13 Feb 2017 16:41:42
Julie PatenaudeAdded building material typeMon 13 Feb 2017 16:41:12
Julie PatenaudeAdded fabric typeMon 13 Feb 2017 16:40:57
Julie PatenaudeAdded fabric typeMon 13 Feb 2017 16:40:31
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