Chapel, Ilford Hospital Of St Mary And St Thomas Of Canterbury

Chapel, Ilford Hospital of St Mary and St Thomas of Canterbury

This hospital chapel stands at Ilford Hospital, which was founded around 1145 by Adelicia, Abbess of Barking, as a hospice for aged and infirm men. The chapel itself dates from the early to mid 14th century and later periods, with possibly an earlier core. It underwent repair in 1719 and renovation in 1781, before substantial extension and reordering in 1889-90, which added a south aisle, Lady Chapel, and vestry, and extended the nave. An organ was installed in the early 20th century, with additional fittings added in 1922-24. The chaplain's house and almshouses were rebuilt in 1927.

The building is constructed of rendered rubble masonry and stock brick with stone dressings and a tile roof. It comprises a continuous nave and chancel with the nave extended to the west, a north porch, organ loft, south aisle, Lady Chapel, and vestry, with a belfry over the chancel.

The north elevation displays rendered rubble masonry. The porch, dating probably to 1889, is built of square stone blocks with a tiled roof and diagonal buttresses flanking a reset early 14th-century outer arch, which was restored in 2002-3. The porch has single lights to its flanks, with an inner doorway and doors of late 19th and early 20th-century date. A vesica with the monogram AM is present. The flanking windows are of early 14th-century date, much restored, each comprising two trefoiled lights under a cusped quatrefoil with moulded hoodmould. The sanctuary window, of early to mid 14th-century date and restored, comprises two cinquefoil lights under an extended quatrefoil; a similar window to the south is probably set in earlier fabric. The organ loft sits under a catslide roof with rebuilding dated 1927. The east window comprises three-light panel tracery and has been restored.

The south elevation shows a five-bay aisle, Lady Chapel, and vestry in stock brick with stone dressings under a flat roof. Two-light windows feature trefoiled and cinquefoiled lights, with those bearing trefoiled lights thought to be reset from the former south wall. The tracery of the cinquefoil lights resembles the chancel windows, with hood moulds decorated with figure stops. A two-light west aisle window sits under a rectangular hoodmould. The west end of the nave is similarly constructed of stock brick and features a small west doorway with an ogee head of late 19th-century date, a west nave rose window in a rectangular opening under a single lancet, and a gable surmounted by a cross. A belfry with a shingled spire is set over the chancel crossing.

The interior contains a six-bay nave with a south arcade of octagonal piers. The north nave windows and two of the south aisle windows feature flat chamfered mullions, while the remainder have hollow chamfered mullions. The sanctuary, Lady Chapel, and vestry windows have deeper chamfered mullions. A close-boarded barrel roof spans the nave, with painted cusped panels over the chancel screen; panels to the sanctuary roof are embellished with gilded stars. The aisle has a flat, boarded roof. A stone pulpit with moulded panels stands in the nave. A nave screen of slender wrought iron, formerly carrying gas lamps, is set on a tall stone base. The chancel doorway, of 19th-century date, has a cusped head under a rectangular hood with enriched panels. Chancel pews and an altar rail probably installed by Ingleby are of unknown provenance. A fine marble reredos, thought to be Italian, depicts the Last Supper behind a cusped arcade. Oak panelling with an embellished pulvinated frieze was installed in 1924. The Lady Chapel was restored in 1922-24 as a War memorial and features a reredos by Ninian Comper and a wrought iron screen. A monument to John Smyth, died 1475, was created in 1889-90 in late medieval manner, replacing a former brass. It comprises a recumbent figure under a canopy with sides reusing fine 15th and 16th-century panels with blind arcade. An octagonal font stands at the west end of the nave, with a remaining panel from a tomb set in the south wall above. The floor comprises black and red tiles with a herringbone border.

The stained glass includes an east window with outer panels depicting the Virgin Mary and Thomas a Becket, a memorial to Reverend James Reynolds, died 1866. Former east window glass of 16th or early 17th-century date, some bearing the arms of the Gresham family, is set in the north sanctuary window. The south sanctuary window contains mid 16th-century Flemish glass, formerly at All Saints Church, Epping Upland, installed in 1889-90. The west aisle window is by Morris & Company to designs by Burne-Jones, a memorial to Clement Mansfield Ingleby of Valentines Park, father of the incumbent. The rose window is attributed to Henry Holiday (1839-1927).