Royal National Hospital Chapel

The Royal National Hospital Chapel, built between 1865 and 1867 by G E Street, is connected to the main building by a single-storey link featuring pierced timber tracery. The chapel consists of a nave and chancel, with a division marked by a buttressed wall that supports a neat octagonal bellcote with alternating openings and buttresses. It is constructed from coursed Purbeck rubble with Bath stone dressings. The west façade includes two cinquefoiled lancet windows and a quatrefoil in a vesica, while the east window features a cinquefoiled triplet under a relieving arch. The side windows are linked by a continuous sloping sill, with stringcourses that break over as hoodmoulds. The roof is made of patterned slate with a tile ridge and overhanging bracketed eaves, topped with an openwork stone cross on the east gable. Inside, the chapel has roofs supported by canted rafters of an unusual section. The chancel arch has a simple moulded abacus, and window sills are connected by a stringcourse. The east and west windows, along with others, contain stained glass by Clayton and Bell. The reredos features a sculptured relief of the Good Samaritan by T W Earp, framed by foliage panels and fleurons.