The South Transept

The south transept is a chapel of Victorian splendour. All the work in this transept was carried out at the expense of William West of Barcote in memory of his wife, Clara Jane, in 1890-92. West was a millionaire and director of the Great Western Railway. He had offered to build a belfry and place a set of bells in nearby Littleworth church, but the vicar refused his charity on the grounds of impracticality. In a fit of resentment, West removed the remains of his child, buried in Littleworth, to Buckland, whence he proceeded to endow the church with his money. His gifts were generous; apart from the interior of the chapel itself he provided money for the vestry, a new organ and the large brass lectern. He also helped to finance the bulk of the restoration work carried out at the same time.

All three walls are completely covered in highly decorated panels of mosaic and pictures painted on engraved marble.

The 12 lozenge-shaped mosaic paintings around the three sides of
the South Transept are:

The floor is tiled in a patterned mosaic of overlapping circular design of black on a white background. back to overview / forward to the tower