Westminster Chapel

Westminster Chapel is a church building at the junction of Buckingham Gate and Castle Lane in the City of Westminster district of London. The facade displays a recessed triple-arched entrance beneath a gabled roofline that draws from the Romanesque architecture of northern Italy and gives the structure a solid, clearly defined appearance.

Construction began in 1864 to replace an earlier place of worship from 1841 that stood at the same location and could no longer serve the growing congregation. Architect William Ford Poulton chose the Lombard Romanesque style, which was returning to fashion in mid-19th-century England as an alternative to the more common Gothic Revival approach.

The building functions today as a meeting place for an evangelical congregation that gathers in smaller home groups and offers courses introducing Christian faith and practice. The congregation also runs a food distribution center that provides groceries to individuals and families in the neighborhood when they need financial assistance.

The interior offers seating for around 1,500 people on the main floor and two surrounding galleries that rise in tiers toward the ceiling. This arrangement works well for larger gatherings and conferences where clear sightlines and acoustics matter.

A historic pipe organ from the 19th century by Henry Willis still stands inside and was restored and expanded with additional stops during the 1920s. The sound of this instrument reflects the technical standard and craft tradition of Victorian organ building, which shows especially well in church spaces like this one.

Location: City of Westminster

Inception: 1865

Architectural style: Lombard architecture

Website: http://westminsterchapel.org.uk

GPS coordinates: 51.49882,-0.13823

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29