In the undercroft of St Mary Magdalene’s is the Holy Sepulchre Chapel: “a magical place, too hard of access” (Simon Jenkins, England’s Thousand Best Churches), remarkable for its “elaborate and concentrated richness [unlike any other] in the history of the Gothic Revival in England” (A. Symondson).

When the founder and first vicar Father West died in 1893 the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre was created as a memorial to him. Nestled into the south aisle of the undercroft, it is an early work by the architect Ninian Comper, who created what is a complete work of art in itself within the larger masterwork of Street’s church.

The enormous amounts of carved stone, stained glass, gilding and ornamental paintwork take us back in time to a 15th century chantry chapel; a place where priests would sing masses for the soul of a dead person, who had usually paid for the chapel. Once completed, masses were said here for the soul of Father West, who had done so much to raise the funds to build St Mary Magdalene’s.

[MEDIA – IMAGE PAIR: the Last Judgement window, and a detail of Father West kneeling]

Can you find the window depicting the Last Judgement, based on the painting by famous 15th century Flemish painter Hans Memling? In the window furthest from the altar is Father West himself, kneeling in prayer.

The chapel was also where the Blessed Sacrament was reserved – kept in a secure container for the Communion of the sick, and as a focus for prayer. Both of these practices were quite different to how things were being done in mainstream Victorian Anglican churches. Those who founded the church and built the chapel believed strongly that the effects of the Reformation on the Church of England had been largely bad. So they decided to worship as if the Reformation had never happened and they were returned to the late 15th century. Sometimes Anglo-Catholic churches were attacked by Protestant rioters, and so at St Mary Magdalene’s the Sacrament was reserved in a specially designed safe, concealed by the decorated reredos behind the altar.

What the rioters never touched, damp nearly did. The chapel spent years on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk register, its decoration deteriorating, partitioned off from the rest of the undercroft for its own protection while drainage was improved around it and the air inside was stabilised. That groundwork made the restoration possible, and the restoration is now complete.

[MEDIA – BEFORE/AFTER SLIDER: chapel decoration, before and after conservation]

Use the slider to compare the decoration before and after conservation.

The partition is down and the colours are back. Comper’s chapel can be seen again from the undercroft, through the pierced screen he designed it to be seen through.

Today

The chapel is part of a guided tour of the undercroft, where you can learn about the heritage of this hidden gem and its restoration [LINK].