All Saints' Church, Westbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Westbury |
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All Saints' from the south-east in May 2020
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| Location | Westbury, Wiltshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Style | Decorated Gothic, Perpendicular Gothic |
| Years built | 1340–c.1550 |
| Specifications | |
| Tower height | 84 ft (26m) |
| Bells | 8 |
| Tenor bell weight | 35cwt-0qrs-14lbs in C# |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Westbury |
| Deanery | Heytesbury |
| Archdeaconry | Sarum |
| Diocese | Salisbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of All Saints is a very old and important church in Westbury, Wiltshire, England. It's the main local church for the Church of England. People have worshipped here for a very long time, even since Saxon times! The church you see today was mostly rebuilt around the year 1437. It's so special that it's a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered a historic treasure.
Contents
A Look at All Saints' Church
How Old Is the Church?
There has been a church on this spot since at least 1086. It was even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from that time. The very first church here was probably made of wood by the Saxons.
Around 1220, the Normans built the first stone church. Later, in the 14th century, a new Gothic church was built. It followed the same layout as the Norman one.
Building Through the Years
The Gothic church was built between about 1340 and 1380. You can still see parts of this older building today. Look for them in the lower parts of the transepts (the arms of the cross-shaped church) and the nave (the main part where people sit). The bottom of the tower is also from this time.
Around 1437, the church got a big makeover. Workers added a clerestory (a row of windows high up on the nave walls). They also added three chapels and made the central tower much taller. It now stands at 84 feet (26 metres) high! One of the chapels was built by a judge named William de Westbury and his father.
In the mid-1500s, a south porch was added. This is like a covered entrance. The chancel (the part of the church near the altar) was also made longer.
Fixing the Church
By 1847, the church needed a lot of repairs. A new roof was put on the nave. A large window was added at the west end, and a small room called a vestry was created. The east wall of the chancel was made stronger with supports called buttresses.
In 1968, a big problem was discovered. An old underground drain had broken, and water was soaking the ground under the church. This made the church's foundations unstable, causing cracks in the stone and making the tower lean! To fix this, 150 long concrete poles, called piles, were pushed deep into the ground. These were then connected with strong beams to make the whole building safe again.
A famous expert named Nikolaus Pevsner said the church's style was similar to a nearby building called Edington Priory. He also thought the west front (the main entrance side) was "remarkable."
The Amazing Bells
The church's central tower is a bit unusual because it's rectangular. Inside, it holds a set of eight bells. These bells are the third heaviest set of eight bells in the world that are used for change ringing. This is a special way of ringing bells in a pattern. Only Sherborne Abbey in Dorset, England, and St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide in Australia have heavier sets! Because they are so special, many bell-ringers like to visit and ring them.
Before 1921, the tower had six bells. These bells were made by different people between 1671 and 1738. In 1921, a company called John Taylor & Co was asked to fix the bells. They planned to add two new bells and fix the old ones. However, they found that the old bells couldn't be properly fixed. So, with permission, they made six brand new bells and two more, creating the set of eight bells you hear today. The largest bell, called the tenor, weighs about 35 long hundredweight (which is very heavy!) and rings the note C#. There's also a very old bell from around 1299 and another unused bell from about 1600.
Special Memorials
Inside the church, you can see a sculpture of William Phipps. He was born nearby and later became the Governor of Bombay (a city in India).
Outside, in the churchyard, there are several old stone tombs from the 1700s and early 1800s. South-east of the chancel, there's also a tall stone cross. This is the parish war memorial, put up around 1919 or 1920, to remember those who served in wars.
The Church's Community
The ancient area that All Saints' Church served was very large. It stretched east to Bratton and west to Dilton. These areas also had churches that depended on Westbury. Over time, these areas got their own separate churches and districts. For example, St James' church at Bratton got its own district in 1845.
The old St Mary's church at Dilton (now called Old Dilton) had fewer people attending in the 1700s. Even fewer went after Holy Trinity church was built at Dilton Marsh in 1844. St Mary's stopped being used regularly in 1900.
Today, All Saints' is the main church in the "White Horse benefice." This group includes the old and new Dilton churches, Holy Saviour, and a small church built in 1905 at Brokerswood.
