All Saints' Church, Spetchley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Spetchley |
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All Saints Church, Spetchley, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SO 895 539 |
| Location | Spetchley Park, Worcestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 11 February 1965 |
| Architect(s) | Henry Rowe (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 14th century |
| Completed | 18th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Grey lias stone with red sandstone dressings, tiled roofs |
All Saints' Church, Spetchley, is an old Anglican church located next to Spetchley Park in Worcestershire, England. It's not used for regular church services anymore, but it's a very important historical building. It's listed as a Grade II* building, which means it's a particularly important building of more than special interest. The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it, making sure it stays preserved for everyone to see.
Contents
History of All Saints' Church
This church has a long history, going back to the 13th century. The oldest parts you can still see today, like the main hall (called the nave) and the area around the altar (the chancel), were built in the 14th century.
In 1614, a rich wool merchant named Rowland Berkeley, who owned the nearby Spetchley Park, added the south chapel. The church tower was probably built in the 17th century, and the entrance porch was added in the 18th century.
In 1857, the church got a big update and repair, which is called a Victorian restoration, led by Henry Rowe. Since 1987, the Churches Conservation Trust has been looking after the church.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from grey lias stone, which is a type of rock, with red sandstone details. Its roofs are made of tiles. The church has a main hall (nave) and a smaller, narrower area for the altar (chancel). There's also a chapel on the south side of the chancel.
At the west end, there's a tower that seems to be part of the nave. In front of the tower is a porch, which is made of timber (wood) and sits on a small brick wall. Above the porch, there's a window with two sections.
The tower has two main parts above the nave roof. The very top part has small, square openings with wooden slats for the bells. It also has a battlemented top, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
On the south side of the nave, there's a doorway with a window to its left. To the right of the door, there are two more windows, one with a single section and another with two sections. Both have fancy stone patterns called Decorated tracery. The north side of the church looks similar.
The east window in the chancel has three sections and is in the Perpendicular style, added in the 19th century. On the north wall of the chancel, there's a large window from the late 16th century with four sections and horizontal bars (called transoms). There's also a smaller, single-section window.
The south chapel has a battlemented top with pointed decorations called pinnacles. It has an old Tudor-style doorway on its west wall, two two-section windows on the south wall, and a three-section window on the east wall.
Inside the Church
Both the nave and the chancel have curved ceilings that look like the inside of a barrel, covered in plaster. The font, where baptisms take place, has a round bowl on a round base. The wooden benches are from the 19th century and have carved decorations called poppyheads. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is also from the 19th century, has many sides, and is painted blue.
The reredos, a decorated screen behind the altar, is also from the 19th century. Behind it, there are older wall paintings from the 16th to 17th centuries.
The most important features inside the church are the monuments to famous people. In the chancel's bay window, there's a tomb chest from the late 16th century, behind railings. It was meant for John Slade, who died in 1597, but he was buried somewhere else.
A very large monument stands between the chancel and the chapel. It honors Sir Rowland Berkeley, who died in 1611, and his wife Katherine. This monument might have been designed by Samuel Baldwin. It shows two statues (called effigies) lying on top of a tomb chest. At each corner of the monument are pointed stone pillars called obelisks. The statues rest under a carved arch, supported by columns with fluted (grooved) Ionic tops. At the very top of the arch, on both sides, there's a display of heraldry (family symbols). Gates and railings on either side of this monument separate the chancel from the chapel.
Inside the chapel, you'll find the tomb chest of Sir Robert Berkeley, who died in 1656. This chest has a statue of him in judge's robes and also features his family symbols. On the wall, there's a monument, possibly by James Hardy, for Thomas Berkeley (died 1693) and his wife Anne (died 1692).
Another impressive monument, possibly by Grinling Gibbons, remembers Robert Berkeley who died in 1694. There's also a wall monument with a large stone coffin shape (a sarcophagus), made by W. Stephens and Company, for another Robert Berkeley who died in 1804.
On the walls, you can see three hatchments from the 19th century. These are diamond-shaped boards showing a person's coat of arms after they died. In the chancel floor, there are brass plaques from the 17th century and grave slabs from the 18th century.
All the stained glass windows in the church are from the 19th century and were made by Hardman & Co.. The east window of the chapel shows the Resurrection, and another window shows the risen Christ. The southeast window has figures of Saints Robert and Catherine. In the north window of the chancel, you can see a picture of the Annunciation (when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would have Jesus).
The church also has a set of four bells, all of which are very old, dating back to the 15th century.
External features
The wall around the churchyard is also a historic feature. It has the dates 1629 and 1714 carved into it and is listed as a Grade II building.
See also
