All Saints' Church, Stour Row facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Year consecrated	1878
Location
Location	Stour Row, Dorset, England
Architecture
Architect(s)	John Hicks
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Early English
Completed	1867

All Saints' Church is a building in Stour Row, Dorset, England. It used to be a Church of England church. The church was designed by an architect named John Hicks and was built in 1867. It is considered a special old building, known as a Grade II listed building. All Saints' Church was part of a group of churches called the Stour Vale Benefice. It closed its doors in 2015.

Why All Saints' Church Was Built

All Saints' Church was built as a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far away from their main parish church. The main church for the area was St Michael and All Angels in Stour Provost.

The idea for this new church came from the rector (the main priest) of Stour Provost, Rev. Richard Arthur Francis Barrett. At that time, about 900 people lived in the parish. However, around 400 of them lived more than 1.5 miles away from St Michael's Church. Some even lived up to three miles away! Also, St Michael's Church could only hold about 300 people. A new church was needed to serve everyone.

Building the Church

John Hicks, an architect from Dorchester, drew up the plans for All Saints' Church. It was designed to hold 146 people. All the seats were free, meaning no one had to pay for a specific spot.

The land for the church was given by Rev. Barrett and King's College. The church cost about £1,200 to build. Most of this money was raised by people donating. Some big donors included the Marchioness of Westminster, King's College, Mr. A. Morrison, and Rev. Barrett. By April 1867, £680 had been raised. The Salisbury Diocesan Church Building Association also gave an extra £120 that month.

Laying the Foundation Stone

The first stone of the church, called the foundation stone, was laid on June 20, 1867. Miss Thomas, who was Rev. Barrett's niece, did the honors. A special service was held by Rev. Barrett and Rev. F. Wilkinson, with about 200 people attending.

Mr. Miles of Shaftesbury built the church. It was ready for services in 1867. A celebration was held on September 26 when the roof was finished. Around 300 people from the area enjoyed an outdoor tea party. There were also sports events and music played by the Sturminster Newton band.

Church Consecration

Even though the church was used for services, its official blessing, called consecration, was delayed. This was because part of the church's land was being used as a garden. The consecration could only happen once that land was returned to the churchyard.

The church and its burial ground were finally consecrated on June 29, 1878. This special ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Rev. George Moberly.

Why All Saints' Church Closed

All Saints' Church closed in 2015 because fewer and fewer people were attending services. The very last service was held on October 18, 2015. The closure became official on November 1, when its parish joined with Stour Provost.

After closing, the church building was put up for sale. In October 2018, the Church Commissioners announced plans to sell the church and part of its churchyard. The idea was to change the building into homes. This plan was approved in March 2019.

A buyer was found, and in December 2019, permission was given to turn the church into a three-bedroom house. Plans also included adding a small extension and a parking spot for one car. In March 2020, a new plan was approved to make the parking area big enough for two cars.

However, in February 2020, the buyer decided not to buy the church. So, the church was put back on the market. Most of the churchyard is included in the sale, except for the part where more recent burials have taken place.

Church Design and Features

All Saints' Church is built from a type of stone called Marnhull stone. It has special decorative parts made from Bath stone and roofs covered with clay tiles. The church has a main open area called a nave with four sections. It also has a chancel (the area near the altar) with two sections. There is a small room called a north vestry and a porch at the west end.

On the west end of the roof, there is a small tower called a bell-cot that holds one bell. Inside, the nave has a special roof with curved supports. The chancel roof also has arched supports. When the church closed, it still had many of its original features from the 1800s. These included the stone font (for baptisms), the wooden pulpit (where sermons are given), and the seating.

Church Windows

In 1867, the church's single windows, which had a three-leaf shape, were filled with plain glass. The east window has three sections, and the west window, added in 1882, has two sections.

Stained Glass Windows

In 1882, beautiful stained glass made by Alexander Gibbs was added to the east window. This was done to remember Rev. Barrett, who had passed away in 1881. The money for this memorial was raised by donations. The window shows the crucifixion of Jesus, with figures of St Mary and St John.

Later that same year, the two-section west window was added. A farmer named James Stone from the village paid for it to remember his son Stephen. Mr. J. New of Shaftesbury installed the window.

In 1907, two more stained glass windows were added. These were made by Clayton and Bell of London. Thomas William Lush of Gillingham paid for them to remember his wife, who was buried in the churchyard. One window shows "Our Lord and Martha," and the other shows "St. Mary anointing Our Lord's feet." In 1908, Mr. Lush added a third stained glass window, also by Clayton and Bell, to remember his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth. This window shows St. Thomas.

Churchyard Features

The wall around the churchyard was rebuilt around 1928 by Mr. F. Pike & Son. The churchyard was made larger in the 1990s with extra land to the south, near Green Lane. In 1993, a special area for wildlife conservation was created within the church grounds. The Dorset Wildlife Trust regularly checks on the plants and animals there.