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Sandham Memorial Chapel

With RoadTour you can hear about Sandham Memorial Chapel and over 1500 other UK Heritage sites via your SatNav or Mobile as you drive! Pub & Restaurant guides also available. Buy RoadTour now online for your vacation to the UK...

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“Look out from Sandham Memorial Chapel over the hillside of Watership Down and picture the bunnies who finally found a home there in Richard Adam’s first and most successful novel of the same name. The 1920s red-brick chapel was built for artist Stanley Spencer to fill with murals, which were widely considered to be his best ever work. Inspired by his own experiences of working as a hospital orderly during World War I, Spencer painted military scenes that celebrated the everyday routines of soldiers. He was influenced by Giotto’s frescoes in the Arena Chapel in Padua, northern Italy. Spencer’s childhood was unconventional; he was schooled by his sister in the potting shed of their home. He went on to spend four years studying at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. 'He has shown signs', Professor Henry Tonks wrote, 'of having the most original mind of anyone we have had at the Slade.' Spencer began his works in oils before the chapel was completed. Some of the paintings could be transported to the building, while for other components, Spencer had to wait until he could access the canvas-lined walls and paint directly on to them. The chapel was consecrated in 1927 but it wasn’t until 1932 that Spencer completed his final frame. The vibrant originality of perspective, shape and colour give vitality and honour to even the most mundane tasks of a soldier’s life, celebrating their camaraderie and courage rather than focusing on the morbidity of loss and death. ”

Address:

Harts Lane
Burghclere, nr Newbury, Hampshire
RG20 9JT
Visit Website

Opening Hours:

3 Mar-25 Mar, 3 Nov-16 Dec: Sat-Sun 11-3pm
28 Mar-28 Oct: Wed-Sun 11-5pm

Prices:

Adult: £3.50
Child: £1.75

Facilties:

See more Place of Worships in South & SE England:

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John, UK

“The Audio commentary on the Garmin was well narrated and definitely had the feel of the audio guides you get when you are walking around the landmarks themselves”.
Linda, New Jersey

“Finding atmospheric pubs with good food is always a challenge when you don't know the area and can be stressful when you're hungry and tired!!”
David, Essex

“Road Tour has found us some great pubs which have made our journeys all the more enjoyable. Every place it's suggested has been a winner.”
Nikki, Cambridgeshire'

“The heritage commentary is really informative and entertaining – it’s great to discover the background to the brown tourist signs we normally whizz by on the motorway.”
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“It doesn't intrude on the journey it complements it with just enough information if you are not stopping at the attraction.”
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