All Saints' Church, Tudeley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church |
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| 51°11′05″N 0°19′07″E / 51.1848°N 0.3185°E | |
| Location | Tudeley, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Open |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Specifications | |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Bells | 3 (18th century) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Tudeley |
| Diocese | Rochester |
All Saints' Church in Tudeley, Kent, England, is a very special place. It's the only church in the world where all its beautiful stained glass windows were designed by the famous artist Marc Chagall.
Contents
History of All Saints' Church
People have worshipped in Tudeley for a very long time, since the 600s! Back then, it was one of only four churches in the Weald area. Some parts of the church, like the base of the main hall (nave) and tower, might be even older than the Norman conquest (1066). The church is even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086.
In 1293, the church became part of Tonbridge Priory. Most of what you see today was built in the 1200s and 1300s, during the Middle Ages. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1526, the church changed hands several times. Today, it is part of the Diocese of Rochester.
Church Restoration Work
The church has been repaired and updated many times over the years. In the late 1700s, it was rebuilt using red brick. Much of the older stone walls of the chancel (the area around the altar) and the lower walls of the nave and west tower were kept.
- Three bells were made and put in the tower around this time.
- The roof was covered with blue slate.
- The brick tower you see today was built in 1765.
Later, from 1871 to 1875, an architect named Robert Medley Fulford rebuilt the nave. He also added a new section called the north aisle using Bath stone. In 1885, the arch leading to the chancel was built. A monument to George Fane, a local important person from the 1500s, was also repaired.
The Famous Chagall Windows
The most amazing feature of All Saints' Church is its unique stained glass windows. These were created by the world-renowned Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall.
How the Windows Came to Be
On September 19, 1963, a sad accident happened. Sarah, the daughter of Sir Henry and Lady D'Avigdor-Goldsmid, drowned in a sailing accident. Her parents owned Somerhill House nearby. To remember Sarah, they asked Marc Chagall to design a stained glass window for the church. This first window was put in place in 1967.
When Chagall came to see the church for the dedication of that first window, he was amazed. He said in French, "C'est magnifique! Je les ferai tous!" which means, "It's magnificent! I will do them all!"
Creating All the Windows
Over the next ten years, Chagall designed the other eleven windows for the church. He worked with a glass artist named Charles Marq in his workshop in Reims, France. The very last windows were installed in 1985, just before Chagall passed away. This makes All Saints' Church truly one-of-a-kind, with every single window a masterpiece by a famous artist.
