NHER 53127 (Building record) - Sanatorium Chapel, Kelling Hospital, Old Cromer Road

April 2006. Listed Grade II.
Former sanatorium chapel. 1903 by A. Randall Wells. Weatherboarded timber frame with pantiled roofs. Simple plan of aisleless nave and chancel with the westernmost bay partitioned off and divided to form a vestry and entrance lobby. Original chancel fenestration of rectangular leaded lights (two to each elevation, those to the east widely-spaced to flank the altar). The nave is lit by three windows in the north and south walls, now modern 3-light casements with transoms but apparently set in the original openings. Similar 2-light window to vestry in north wall. Original entrance door in South wall; openings in west wall altered. The roof is continuous over the nave and chancel, with a pronounced bell-cast eaves. The centre of the roof is raised to form a ventilator running the full length of the building with a separate hipped roof. The side-walls of the ventilator are now weatherboarded, replacing the original cord-operated louvres. Interior: the chancel retains its plain painted wall panelling and pamment floor laid in a chequer-pattern of red and black-glazed tiles. The nave has a wood-block floor laid in herringbone pattern; the original partition layout at the west end is confirmed by the flooring pattern. The roof structure is concealed by a modern hardboard ceiling but is a complex arrangement of closely-set scissor trusses with the rafters rising to support the ridge-beam and the scissor braces supporting the plates on which the ventilator side-walls are set. The entire roof structure and sarking is painted, confirming that it was originally exposed to view.
The original drawings for the chapel, signed by Randall Wells, survive in the Norwich Record Office.
The former sanatorium chapel is a good example of the innovative side of the Arts and Crafts Movement which is well-represented in this part of Norfolk with notable works by E S Prior, Detmar Blow, Edward Maufe and Randall Wells. The later alterations to the building do not detract significantly from the quality of the original design.
Information from (S1).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 12 November 2009.