Chapel at St David's Hospital

This is a chapel, built within the grounds of St David's Hospital. The construction date is not specified, but it is likely from the 19th century, given the style and features. The chapel is built of rock-faced squared stone in large blocks, primarily grey with red bands, with painted Bath stone dressings. It has steep slate roofs with coped gables. The architectural style is Decorated Gothic, executed on a large scale with a clerestoried nave and chancel. A prominent octagonal fleche, topped with a spire, rises from the ridge between the nave and chancel.

The chapel includes lean-to aisles, large gabled transepts, and lean-to additions on either side of the chancel. A west porch provides entrance. The fleche has a leaded octagonal base, a louvred timber stage, a sharp leaded overhanging spire with small copper gablets and an iron cross finial. The east window is a large four-light design with a cinquefoil head. The clerestory features triple lancet windows, with the central light taller, one to the chancel and three to the nave. The nave aisles have four-light lancet windows with buttresses between, while the chancel aisles have a similar three-light window to the side and a pointed three-light window with cusped lights to the east end. The sides of the chancel incorporate a long ogee-cusped lancet window to the east of the aisles. Clasping angle buttresses are a notable feature. The transepts each feature a three-light pointed window with a cinquefoil head, positioned above an entrance door. Stepped buttresses flank each side of these windows. The west side of the nave has pointed cusped three-light aisle end windows and a large round window with cusped diagonal-cross tracery. This window is above a lean-to porch, which itself has a gable over a moulded pointed doorway, with triple lancets on either side, clasping buttresses, and paired lancets to the side walls.

The interior features an open, arch-braced roof. The walls are remarkable for their polychrome decoration, consisting of brown glazed brick with bold banding and diaper patterns in black and white (the colours having been renewed in paint). The nave has painted ashlar arcades of three bays, with octagonal piers and moulded capitals, with taller arches leading to the transepts. Arch-braced collar trusses are supported by corbels. The west window has polished greenish stone imposts and keyblocks. The transepts feature pointed arches to the aisles and chancel aisles. Semi-octagonal responds define the pointed chancel arch. A reredos, composed of relief floral panels in tile, is set above a polished Green Castle stone shelf, accompanied by chequered wall tiling on either side. The floors are tiled, with a more ornate design in the chancel, which has polished Green Castle stone steps. An open chapel is located to the north of the chancel and an organ chamber to the south, housing an organ built by Vowles in 1888. Vestries are situated on either side of the west porch. A small stained glass roundel depicting a dove is located in the east window, while the west window features a depiction of the Lamb of God. Other windows are filled with leaded glass.