Severalls Hospital Site - The Chapel Where possible development of the Severalls Hospital site has been sympathetic to the buildings and grounds. Some buildings have been saved and refurbished, as has the war memorial site, and much of the woodland has been kept together with green spaces. Despite best efforts to have the Chapel kept as a community asset, sadly this was not achieved. The Chapel was deemed to be fragile, as the single-width brick external wall was bowing. Action was taken therefore to save some Chapel features and the demolition company, Mick George Ltd., assisted in this. The availability of the organ was made known through various channels and it is now played in a village church in Brittany. The Chapel bell and external cross are currently safely cared for in the cellar of a local house, thanks to Council colleagues. The trickiest feature to save was the stained glass windows, here shown in-situ in a black & white photo pre-demolition. Thankfully the windows were saved and are in the possession of your Council until a final home can be found for them. It is our intention to have them examined by experts and Colchester Museum, so that an appropriate use/home can be decided. They are fragile and will require attention and your Council will do all that it can to ensure these heritage features are secured. Pete Hewitt From inside the community 28
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