All Saints' Church, Northampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church |
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All Saints' Church, Northampton
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| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Website | www.allsaintsnorthampton.co.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Peterborough |
| Province | Canterbury |
All Saints' Church, Northampton is a beautiful and historic Church of England church. It stands right in the middle of Northampton, England. The church you see today was mostly built after a huge fire. It was officially opened in 1680. This amazing building is so important that it's a Grade I listed building, meaning it's protected for its special history and design.
Contents
A Fiery Past: The Great Fire of Northampton
The original church, called All Hallows, stood for many centuries. It had lots of medieval (Middle Ages) changes over time. But on September 20, 1675, a terrible event happened. Much of Northampton was destroyed by a huge fire, known as the Great Fire of Northampton.
The fire started on St Mary's Street. People tried to escape to the Market Square. But the fire spread so fast that they had to leave everything behind. All Hallows' Church was caught in the flames. Its bells rang for the last time as the fire took over. The wind carried the fire quickly, burning almost every house in its path.
Building a New Church
After the fire, King Charles II wanted to help. He gave a thousand tons of timber (wood) to rebuild All Hallows' Church. Also, one-tenth of all the money collected to rebuild the town went to the church.
The rebuilding was managed by Henry Bell, an architect from King's Lynn. He was living in Northampton at the time. Bell designed the new church to look similar to the famous buildings by Sir Christopher Wren. Wren designed many churches in London after the Great Fire of London.
The old medieval tower and the crypt (an underground room) survived the fire. The new All Saints' Church was built next to the tower. It has an almost square shape. There's a chancel (the area around the altar) to the east. There are also north and south narthexes (entrance halls) on either side of the tower.
Inside the Church
When you visit, you walk through the old tower into a large, arched main area called a barrel vaulted nave. In the middle, there's a beautiful dome. This dome is held up by four large columns. Light shines down from a lantern above the dome.
The arched ceilings extend from the dome into the side areas. This creates a shape like a Greek cross. The church is very bright because of its clear glass windows. The ceilings are decorated with beautiful plasterwork.
All Saints' Today
All Saints' Church follows the Catholic tradition within the Church of England. It is open to visitors from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day. On days with special singing services, it stays open longer.
Church Design and Features
The design of All Saints' Church reminds many people of Christopher Wren's churches in London. These were also rebuilt after a big fire. Some people even thought Wren designed All Saints', but it was Henry Bell.
Wren's church, St Mary-at-Hill in London, has a similar square shape and size. It also has a tower with entrance halls on either side. Wren used a barrel vault and a central dome supported by columns. Henry Bell likely got his ideas from churches like this.
However, All Saints' has flatter arched ceilings than St Mary-at-Hill. Its dome is more rounded, and its columns are different. Inside All Saints', you can see the Mayor's Seat, a special pew for the Mayor. There's also a Consistory Court, which was once used for church legal matters.
Statue of King Charles II
The new church was officially opened in 1680. In 1701, a large entrance porch, called a portico, was added to the front. This portico was built to remember King Charles II's help in rebuilding the church. A statue of him, dressed like a Roman, was placed above the portico.
Every year on Oak Apple Day (May 29th), at noon, the choir sings a Latin song to King Charles II from the roof. The Mayor of Northampton places oak leaves on the statue. A similar event happens on Ascension Day at 7:00 AM.
The church building was repaired in the 1970s. More recently, in 2008, the entrance areas and restrooms were updated. There's even a coffee shop, All Saints' Bistro, in the north and south parts of the entrance. The north part is called the John Clare Lounge, named after the poet who used to sit there and write.
Music at All Saints'
The Choir
The choir at All Saints' Church has a very long history. It was first formed in the 1100s for the old All Hallows' Church. Today, there are three main groups that make up the choirs:
- The Boys Choir (ages 7 to 15)
- The Girls Choir (ages 8 to 18)
- The Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks (older singers, some of whom used to be in the younger choirs)
These choirs sing at five special services each week. This includes Sunday Mass and Evensong throughout the week.
Musical Instruments
All Saints' Church has six musical instruments. These include three pipe organs and three pianos.
West Organ
This is the church's largest organ. It was built in 1982-1983. It uses some pipes from older organs, including one from 1709. It has 40 stops (controls for different sounds) and can be played using three keyboards and foot pedals.
Chancel Organ
This organ was originally built in 1939 for another church. It was moved to All Saints' in 2004 and installed in 2006. It has 33 stops and can also be played using three keyboards and foot pedals.
Memorial Chapel Organ
This smaller organ was built in 1983. It has two sets of pipes, which can be combined in different ways using 10 stops.
See also
- List of churches in Northampton
