Sandham Memorial Chapel

The Sandham Memorial Chapel in Hampshire is Stanley’s Spencer’s monument to the forgotten dead of the First World War. The murals draw on Spencer’s experiences serving first as a medical orderly in Britain and then on active service in the Balkans. Bettany meets Operations Manager Alison Paton to take a closer look at the paintings and she lends Bettany a ladder to investigate the stories on the highest parts of the walls. Spencer expert Amanda Bradley discusses his inspiration from Giotto’s Arena Chapel in Padua. Finally Bettany has a cup of tea with Robert Eggar, a retired solider who volunteers at the chapel and who believes that Spencer has discovered the only thing that is beautiful about the battlefields - the comradeship of men - which is why so many of our war heroes visit the chapel today. For more information about Sandham Memorial Chapel, including opening times and dates, go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sandham-memorial-chapel