Chapel to the former King Edward VII Hospital

This is a hospital chapel, constructed in 1906. It was originally designed as part of the King Edward VII Hospital, and is located on the King Edward VII Estate in Easebourne. The architects were Adams, Holden and Pearson, although the building’s style most closely reflects the work of Charles Holden, incorporating elements of Free Tudor and Romanesque styles. The chapel was a gift from Sir John Brickwood, a Portsmouth brewer.

The chapel’s design arose from suggestions that the hospital, catering to tuberculosis sufferers, should incorporate an open-air design. This resulted in a unique V-shaped plan, oriented to the south, featuring separate naves for men and women patients, a central chancel, open arcaded cloisters, and an outdoor pulpit intended for use in good weather. Rainwater heads are dated 1905.

The exterior is constructed of red and grey brick in courses, with a tiled roof and gablets. The clerestory windows have stone mullions and leaded lights. A significant feature is the south-facing colonnade of five round-headed arches to each nave, along with triangular entrances at the ends, both supported by stone columns. The octagonal chancel features projecting buttresses at the corners and a timber turret topped with a metal weathervane. An outdoor stone pulpit is also situated in the southern intersection of the V.

The interior of the naves has barrel-vaulted plastered roofs and stone walls. The original open cloister on the south side was glazed in 1957 by Brian Poulter, adapting the design to reflect changes in tuberculosis treatment. The opposite side features large blank round-headed arches. The York stone floor was originally warmed by an underfloor piped heating system. The chancel is Romanesque in style, with a series of open and blind arches, some containing smaller subsidiary arches. The cardinal sides of the octagon feature three arches separated by columned piers, from which a higher central arch springs, all enclosed within a larger arched recess. The other sides of the octagon contain two arched openings with a central columned support, set within a larger arch, surmounted by a single lancet window. The chancel furnishings, crafted by C R Ashbee, include a pulpit, lectern, and altar, all made of carved teak with ebony inlay.