All Saints' Church, Ryde facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Ryde
All Saints' Church, Ryde
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.rydeallsaints.co.uk/
History
Dedication	All Saints
Administration
Parish	Ryde
Archdeaconry	East Wight
Diocese	Portsmouth
Province	Canterbury

All Saints' Church, Ryde is a special church on the Isle of Wight. It's part of the Church of England. This church is a famous landmark because its tall spire can be seen from many places on the island and even from the mainland! Some people even call it the "Cathedral of the Island" because it's so important. It's also a "Grade II* listed building," which means it's a very important historical building.

Discovering the Church's Design

The inside of All Saints' Church, designed by George Gilbert Scott.

Original wooden benches inside All Saints' Church.

This beautiful church was built between 1868 and 1872. A famous architect named George Gilbert Scott designed it. The very tall spire was added a bit later, in 1881 or 1882. Long ago, people used to climb the spire on a special day called the Feast of the Ascension to sing a hymn.

All Saints' Church is known for its grand and detailed design. It's built from stone with fancy stone decorations. Inside, there are six arched sections with carved tops. The walls in the main part of the church were painted by artists from Clayton and Bell. A room called the vestry, now used as a choir school, was added in 1891.

Special Areas and Features

The church has two smaller chapels. The Warrior Chapel is a special memorial for soldiers. The Chapel of The Good Shepherd was originally a room for priests to prepare.

You'll also see a beautiful pulpit, reredos (a screen behind the altar), and font. These are all typical of Scott's designs. The pulpit is made from a shiny stone called Derbyshire alabaster and stands on polished marble columns. It was so impressive that it won first prize at The Great Exhibition in 1851!

The church tower holds eight large bells. These bells were made by Messrs Taylor and Co of Loughborough in 1866.

Some of the church's stained glass windows are truly amazing. Most of these are in the north aisle and the sanctuary. Sadly, many other windows were damaged during the Second World War. The window in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd remembers Samuel Poole, who passed away in 1872.

Outside the church, on the north-east side, there is a war memorial shaped like a cross.

In 2024, plans were announced to update the church's inside. This includes changing the old tiled floor to concrete and removing the wooden benches. However, a group called The Victorian Society has expressed concerns about these changes.

Church Services and Worship

All Saints' Church offers different services for people to attend.

Sunday Services

• Traditional Service (9:30 AM): This is a one-hour service with organ music. Clergy and servers wear special robes.
• Contemporary Worship Service (11:00 AM): This service features music led by a band. It also includes a short talk and prayer time. A special "Kid's Church" program runs during this service.

Mid-Week Services

• Celtic Prayer (Thursdays at 9:00 AM)
• BCP Service (Fridays at 4:00 PM)
• Communion Service (First Thursday of each month at 12:00 PM)

You can find out about any special services or events on the church's website.

In 2023, All Saints' was chosen for a "church planting" project. This project aims to welcome more worshippers by introducing a more modern and lively style of worship.

The Church Choir

For many years, All Saints' Church had a well-known choir. This choir has been a tradition since the church first opened. The choir used to sing at all the main services, as well as at weddings and funerals. A new choir is now forming and will soon be singing at services again.

The choir has been connected with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) for a long time. Younger singers in the choir used to train using the RSCM's 'Voice for Life' program. They also sometimes trained with other professional musicians.

In the past, the choir sang a wide range of music. This included older composers like Thomas Tallis and William Byrd, as well as more modern ones. Before 2016, the choir even sang special evening services at famous cathedrals like Portsmouth, Salisbury, Winchester, and Chichester.

The Church Organ

The church has a grand organ built by Henry Willis in 1874. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.

Organists and Music Directors

Many talented musicians have served as organists and directors of music at All Saints' Church over the years. Here is a list of some of them:

• Sidney M. Lake (1864–1872)
• W.B. Souter (1872–1874)
• Frank H. Simms (1874–1889)
• W. Warden Harvey (1889–1894)
• Rev. J. Godfrey Luard (1894–1896)
• Edmund Goldsmith (1896–1898)
• Richard Yates Mander (1898–1913)
• Ernest G. Welsh (1913–1929)
• D J Bevan (1929–1932)
• Osborne Edward Weare (1932–1934)
• Earnest G. Welsh (1934–1946)
• Wilfrid L. Reed (1946–1970)
• John Lea (1970–1976)
• John Flower (1976)
• Derek Beck (1977–1984)
• W W L Baker (1984–1988)
• R Weir (1988–1991)
• John Lea (1992–1996)
• Andrew Cooper (1995 onward)
• Robert Weir (1996–1998)
• John Lea (1998–2003)
• Godfrey Davis (2003–2010)
• John Lea (2010–2011)
• Graeme Martin (2011–2012)
• John Lea (2012)
• Simon Jarvis (2013–2017)
• Andrew Cooper (2017–2020)
• Alan Finch (2020-present)

Performances and Events

The church's excellent sound quality makes it a popular place for different performers to visit. It also hosts the singing part of The Isle of Wight Music, Dance and Drama Festival.

Vicars of Ryde

The Vicar is the main priest in charge of the church. Here are some of the Vicars who have served All Saints' Church in Ryde:

• William Harding Girdlestone (1867–1868)
• Alexander Poole (1868–1891)
• John Shearme (1891–1905)
• Albert Gossage Robinson (1905–1908)
• Hugh Le Fleming (1908–1927)
• George Alexander Johnstone (1927–1932)
• William Neville Martin (1932–1936)
• Reginald Stuart Moxon (1937–1946)
• Alexander Cory (1946–1952)
• Ralph Harry Bassett (1953–1962)
• Ronald Harry Granger (1963–1970)
• Patrick Connor Magee (1970–1972)
• Douglas John Turner (1972–1981)
• Ernest James Green (1982–1991)
• David William Dale (1992–1998)
• David Blair Foss (1999–2001)
• Jonathan Francis Redvers Harris (2003–2011)
• Graham Edwin Morris (2012–2018)
• Samantha Martell (2020–2021)
• Heath Monaghan (Rector) (2024-present)
• Oliver Mitchelmore (Team Vicar) (2024-present)
• David Morgan (Team Vicar) (2024-present)