The Chapel

The Chapel

Unlike the Crypt directly below, the appearance of the Chapel has been changed many times over the centuries.

Upon his arrival at Lambeth, Archbishop Laud made many alterations to the Chapel. The installation of black and white marble chequered flooring and the decoratively carved screen are two of those changes that can be seen today. Laud also found the Chapel windows to be inadequate, describing them as "all shameful to look on, all diversely patched like a poor beggars coat". However, the decorative design of his new windows were not popular with puritans who subsequently smashed every pane. The Chapel was eventually restored by Archbishop Juxton, following the succession of Charles II.

A vaulted ceiling was installed by Edward Blore in 1846. This replaced the flat ceiling, complete with Archbishop's crest, which had been a part of Laud's innovations.

The Chapel was heavily damaged following a direct hit by an incendiary bomb during World War II when the ceiling was lost and all of the windows were broken. Scorch marks can still be seen on the marble tiled floor. Restoration was begun in 1955 by architects Lord Mottistone and Mr Paul Paget. Modern glass was inserted into the remaining window frames by Carl Edwards and Hugh Powell who attempted to recreate the same themes and designs as the original windows designed by Morton in 1486.

The present day ceiling artwork entitled 'From Darkness to Light' was painted by Leonard Henry Rosoman in 1988. The panels depict Pope Gregory the Great commissioning Saint Augustine to visit England in AD 597. St. Thomas à Becket is shown as a young man hunting, in a reference to the image that can be found alongside a depiction of his murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. The central panels show the enthronement of Archbishop Parker and scenes from the first Lambeth Conference. The last image above the altar shows Christ in Glory.

The ashes of Archbishop Parker are buried beneath one of the floor tiles in front of the altar in the Chapel at Lambeth. His remains are placed near the spot where he was consecrated as the first Archbishop of Elizabeth I and he is the only person to have been buried at Lambeth Palace.

A small room above the present day vestry with a balcony overlooking the Chapel was used by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. It is thought that in this room Cranmer compiled the first Book of Common Prayer.

The Chapel is still used regularly today as a place of prayer and worship.