Famous hospital chapel for sick children turns 150

The rich interior of the Victorian chapel was admired by Oscar Wilde

A hospital's Victorian chapel that was once enclosed in an enormous waterproof box and moved to a new site is marking its 150th anniversary.

St Christopher's Chapel is part of the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in Bloomsbury, which began treating patients as the Hospital for Sick Children in 1852.

The chapel was opened in 1875 and its rich decoration was much admired - playwright Oscar Wilde called it "the most delightful private chapel in London".

During construction of new wings of the hospital, it was placed on a concrete slab, moved slowly over three days by a hydraulic device and then fixed with concrete to its current location in the hospital's Variety Club Building in 1990.

A Victorian illustration of the hospital's patients being led into the chapel

Former patients and their loved ones have been sharing their memories of the chapel.

When Maxwell was born in June 2024 it was discovered he had a mass on his liver and it was found to be cancerous.

His mum Claire said she was drawn to the chapel during the time she spent at GOSH for his treatment.

She said: "You look for light and comfort in dark times; I couldn't take my baby home like planned and my mum, who passed in 2021, was religious and would pray.

"So, I visited the chapel. It is a place of peace and calmness. It felt as though you were leaving the hospital and became somewhere my family and I would regularly visit."

Claire added: "It was a big goal for us, to be able to take Maxwell to the chapel. The little milestone of getting him off the drip long enough for him to go was such a great thing

"Anytime friends or family visited, I would make sure I had time to take them to the chapel.

"It is such a beautiful and amazing place and played a part in our time at GOSH which I am so thankful for."

Maxwell was christened at the chapel two days after he rang the bell at GOSH to signify the end of his cancer treatment.

Family, friends, nurses and staff were able to attend Max's christening.

Maxwell was christened at the Great Ormond Street Hospital chapel

Anne said visiting the chapel again after more than seven decades "filled me with emotions"

Anne Dellows, originally from Hackney, was a patient at GOSH in August 1951 for treatment to burns on her feet.

Then aged six, she would go to the chapel and have lessons and prayers there and said she vividly remembered her time at the chapel.

This year Anne revisited the chapel, 74 years since she last went.

Anne said: "I walked through the door to the chapel, and I was just transported back to being six years old.

"It felt like the exact same experience. I walked into this beautiful golden room that hadn't changed.

"Seeing it again filled me with emotions; I've lived such an amazing life and to come back to see it again at 80 was something I never expected."

The chapel is also home to the Children's Book of Remembrance, a book that records the names and ages of each young person who has died at GOSH on a particular day.

This book forms a special part of the chapel's annual Time to Remember event which brings together bereaved families to honour a child who has died.