Occasional open day at the Ilford Hospital Chapel

Occasional open day at a 14th century building in Ilford.

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Known locally as The Hospital Chapel, this is one of the gems in Redbridge’s Crown – Graded II* by English Heritage, it is the oldest building in the London Borough of Redbridge, founded circa 1145AD by Adelicia (Adeliza), Abbess of Barking, as a hospice for 13 aged and infirm men.

The nave and chancel of the present building were built during the 14th century, or earlier and the north wall is formed by the original Norman wall when the Chapel was built. During recent conservation work, an infilled window space was discovered in the Norman Wall, which archaeologists think was infilled during the first two hundred
years after the Wall was built. The top of a painted mural, still faintly seen, was left exposed.

The ancient Abbey of Barking was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539 and demolished between 1540 and 1541. But the Ilford Hospital Chapel having its own endowments and constitution, survived this threat and also the abolition of Chantries in 1547, probably because of its function as a chapel-of-ease as well as a hospice.

Early in 1982 the late Lord Salisbury handed over the Ilford Hospital to the diocese of Chelmsford who formed the Abbess Adelicia Charity to take over the administration.

This Charity still own and administer the Chapel site.