The chapel was built by the East India Company in 1857 as part of an expansion of the existing barracks to provide a purpose built place of worship that replaced an area in the riding school which had been used for services until that time.

Following the design by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt the chapel cost over £2,000 and was able to seat 600 people which was sufficient to house the troops based there.

In 1873 The 44th East Essex and the 56th West Essex were both based at Warley and from that point became the prime users of the chapel.

On 1 March 1925 the Garrison Church at Warley was designated as the Essex Regiment Chapel by Bishop Taylor Smith who was Chaplain General of the Forces.

The colours of the 1st and 2nd Garrison Battalions and the 9th,10th and 11th Service Battalions were brought to the chapel for safe custody.

The colours  of the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions emblazoned with war honours were paraded to the chapel on the presence of Lord Lambourne who was the Lord Lieutenant of Essex.

Other colours taken to the chapel include the 44th Crimea colours, 44th Waterloo colours, The 56th colours that had been carried from 1826 to 1864, 3rd Special Reserve Battalion, 15th Service battalion, 4th West Essex Militia Battalion and the 5th East Essex Militia Battalion.

Image taken by David Burles

There are personal memorials in the chapel to

Major-General Hay

Lieutenant Francis Newton Parsons VC

Major-General F Ventris CB

Colonel Almeric G Spencer

Lieut-Colonel W G Charles CMG DSO

Brigadier-General C G Lews CMG DSO

The 22 Officers who died in the Afghan Campaign 1841-1842. This tablet was originally erected at Alverstoke Church but transferred to the chapel in 1926. Click here for more details.

There are also memorials to men who fell at different campaigns which the Regiment participated and lost men.