There are a number of reasons why church chancels are usually more lavishly constructed and decorated than other parts of the building. They hold the high altar. It is also the place where the clergy and their assistants do their work and it is where the choir usually sits. In the past it was the part of the building that was funded by the church. In contrast, the larger nave was funded by and used by the people of the parish. Chantry chapels sometimes equalled or exceeded the chancel in their ornamentation but more often than not the chancel was, and remains, the most decorative part of the church. That is the case at St Michael and All Angels at Ledbury (above).
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Nikon D5300
