: The Chancel
The chancel (or sanctuary), one of the most sumptuous and dramatic in London, occupies almost one-third of the length of the church – a reflection of the Tractarian requirement that the Sacraments be stressed above the Word. Its size, the grand and ornate reredos, the gradual enrichment of the decoration as one moves further east, the position of the windows casting shards of brilliant light (weather permitting) across the vast chamber, all aid in drawing one’s attention towards this part of the church. Most of today’s sanctuary furnishings were acquired in the early 20th century – Butterfield, suspicious of ritualism, had originally planned it to be simply furnished.