Ledbury church chancel

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

The Mitcheldean "Doom"

"Doom" is the name given to a painting that depicts the Bible's Last Judgement, particularly the torments that await in Hell and, often, the delights of Heaven. In English churches they were common in the medieval period and many survive in varying states of repair. A common location for the painting is above the chancel arch or on the west wall. Others can be found on the north or south walls. The purpose was to impress on the illiterate congregation the folly of departing from Christian teaching. The "Doom" in St Michael & All Angels, Mitcheldean in the Forest of Dean, was painted in the late 1400s on oak panels that separate the nave from the chancel . It shows the usual subject as well as the Betrayal, Passion and Ascension of Christ. The two dominant colours are red and green, both of which were widely used in church paintings of the time.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10