Chapel of St Christopher

Completed in 1875, the chapel was designed by Edward Middleton Barry, third son of Sir Charles Barry. Despite its modest size, the grandeur of the interior and the splendid proportions give the chapel a special atmosphere. Designed in the Byzantine idiom, it is a real ‘tour de force’ of high Victorian ecclesiastical style.

In the 1980s, a decision to demolish and rehouse Great Ormond Street Hospital meant that the chapel, which is Grade II listed, had to be moved to a new location as it was impractical to incorporate it in to the redevelopment plans of the old site. As a result, in association with English Heritage, the chapel was moved ‘en bloc’ to the position it occupies today. A scheme had to be devised which would ensure the safety of the structure and at the same time offer the greatest measure of protection for the interior fabric and decorative works.

The chapel was officially reopened on its new site in 1994 and will continue to be at the centre of the hospital’s activities as it has been for the last 130 years.