Following the death of Father Richard Temple West, funds were raised to create three memorials in his honour. The most significant of these was the Chapel of St Sepulchre, designed in 1894–95 by the young architect Ninian Comper.

At the time, Comper was not yet widely known. His commission came through Father Bleaden, West’s successor at St Mary Magdalene’s, who had previously served as Vicar of St John’s in Aberdeen – Comper’s hometown. Bleaden knew Comper’s father and had taken an early interest in his work, giving the young architect one of his first major church commissions.

The Chapel of St Sepulchre became one of Comper’s earliest accomplishments, marking the beginning of a distinguished career. He would go on to design many notable church interiors, furnishings, and stained-glass windows across Britain, celebrated for blending Gothic and classical styles. In recognition of his work, he was knighted in 1950. Comper died in 1960 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Today

The chapel he built at the start of his career has been restored, and it is part of a guided tour of the undercroft.