Celebrating 150 years of the chapel at Great Ormond Street Hospital
28 Nov 2025, 9:41 a.m.
Since 1875, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been home to St Christopher’s Chapel – a Grade II listed building once described by Oscar Wilde as “the most delightful private chapel in London”.
To mark the chapel’s 150th anniversary, we meet Maxwell – a GOSH patient who was christened in the chapel – and reflect on the chapel’s remarkable journey.
Maxwell’s christening
Since its foundation, St Christopher’s Chapel has been a space of quiet reflection and much-needed comfort for countless GOSH families, including Maxwell’s.
Maxwell spent the first four months of his life at GOSH, after being diagnosed with liver cancer. While he was undergoing chemotherapy, his mum, Claire, stayed by his side, only leaving to visit the chapel for some light in an uncertain time.
“The chapel is such a beautiful and amazing place which I am so thankful for," she says.
Earlier this year, Maxwell was able to ring the end of treatment bell and is now doing well at home.
To celebrate this special milestone, he was christened at the GOSH chapel, surrounded by his family, friends and the nurses who took care of him.
A trip down memory lane
Take a journey through time as we look back at the remarkable story of St Christopher’s Chapel – from its Victorian beginnings to its role at the heart of GOSH today.
1875: The chapel’s inception
St Christopher’s Chapel was built in 1875 as part of the original hospital building.
It was designed by the19th-century architect Edward Middleton Barry, whose father was the famous Sir Charles Barry – designer of the Houses of Parliament.
The chapel was funded by Edward's cousin, William Henry Barry, in memory of William's wife, Caroline Pitman.
Late 1980s: Moving the chapel ‘en bloc’
Fast forward 100 years and it was time for older parts of the hospital to be demolished.
Owing to its Grade II listed status, this wasn’t an option for the chapel – but leaving it where it stood wasn’t practical either.
In an extraordinary move, the entire chapel was boxed up and lifted into its current home in GOSH’s new Variety Club building. It arrived safely, with just half an inch to spare.
In the three years that followed this move, the interior was meticulously restored before once again welcoming the children, families and staff at GOSH.
The chapel and chaplaincy today
Today, the chapel is looked after by the hospital’s Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care team. Fully funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity), the multi-faith team offers hope and comfort to those of all faiths and none. They provide a 24-hour on-call service every day of the year.
The chapel has regular services throughout the week, and special events are held to celebrate major festivals and holidays.
The chapel foyer is also home to the hospital’s Books of Remembrance, which honour the children and young people who have died, as well as those who choose to leave a gift to GOSH Charity in their Will.
As well as the chapel, GOSH is home to a state-of-the-art Muslim Prayer Room, a non-religious quiet room, and a Shabbat Room for Jewish families. There are ambitious plans to widen representation further too.
“As you can see, Chaplaincy has changed, and rightly so. What has not changed is the values that were expressed in 1875 about keeping the children in our care at the heart of all that we do.”
With your help, we fund essential support services like the Chaplaincy team
Spiritual care is an important part of holistic health care. It’s a necessity in an environment like GOSH, where religious and spiritual needs are shared by children and young people, their families and carers, and staff.