All Saints' Church, Kings Langley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Kings Langley |
|
|---|---|
All Saints' Church, Kings Langley
|
|
| 51°42′39.25″N 0°26′52.6″W / 51.7109028°N 0.447944°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://beneficeoflangelei.org.uk/allsaints/ |
| History | |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kings Langley |
| Deanery | Hemel Hempstead |
| Archdeaconry | St Albans |
| Diocese | St Albans |
| Province | Canterbury |
All Saints' Church, Kings Langley is a Church of England parish church located in the village of Kings Langley in Hertfordshire, England. It started being built in the 13th century. This historic church holds the tomb of Edmund of Langley (1341–1402), who was the first Duke of York. The church is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic place.
Contents
What Does All Saints' Church Look Like?
The outside of All Saints' Church is made of flint stone. It has special stone details called "dressings" made from Totternhoe Stone. The roofs are red tiles. The church has a short, strong bell tower with battlements (like small castle walls) and a small central spire on top, sometimes called a "Hertfordshire spike."
Most of the church is built in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in the late Middle Ages. However, it was greatly fixed up and changed during the Victorian era. Inside, the main part of the church, called the nave, has three sections. It also has a clerestory (a row of windows high up) and aisles on both the north and south sides. These aisles end in small chapels, lining up with the east end of the chancel (the area around the altar).
History of All Saints' Church
The first time we hear about a church in Kings Langley was in 1215. This was when King John officially allowed someone to choose the parish priest for the church. We know that King Edward I visited the church in 1299. Records of the vicars (priests) go all the way back to that century.
The oldest part of the church is the chancel, which was built in the 13th century. You can still see parts of its original narrow, tall windows, called lancet windows, which are typical of the Early English style. There's also a double piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) in the south wall.
The main part of the church, the nave, was built in the 14th century. It likely stands on top of an even older building. The archways that separate the nave from the aisles were built in the 15th century. This was when the north and south aisles were rebuilt too. The north chapel and the three-story tower were added later in the same century. The oldest of the six bells in the tower today dates back to 1657.
In 1575, the chest tomb (a coffin-shaped stone box) of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, was moved to the church. This happened after King's Langley Priory, a nearby monastery, was closed down during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. His tomb was first placed near the main altar in the chancel. In the north chapel, you can find the tomb and stone statues (effigies) of Sir Ralph Verney (who died in 1528) and his wife Eleanor. The church also still has its original hexagonal wooden pulpit from the 17th century, with its special "sounding board" above it.
Victorian Changes to the Church
In 1877, the north aisle was made bigger to create a new royal chapel. Edmund of Langley's tomb was moved there from the chancel the next year. Queen Victoria herself gave the window that stands above his tomb. At the same time, a beautiful alabaster reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) was put up. A new east window in the Perpendicular style was also installed. During this work, parts of the very first lancet windows were found.
More changes happened in 1894. A choir vestry (a room for the choir) was added to the south side, and the north porch was rebuilt. In 1899, the windows in the clerestory and the top of the tower were rebuilt. In 1976, a modern, many-sided church room was added to the south side. All Saints' Church became a Grade II* listed building in January 1967, recognizing its special historical importance.
The churchyard has a monument to Elizabeth Hyde. It's a Portland stone obelisk (a tall, four-sided pillar) from 1801 or earlier. Also buried there is Christopher Augustus Cox (1889-1959). He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917 for his bravery. He was a stretcher bearer during the First World War, helping injured soldiers under enemy fire.
The Tomb of Edmund of Langley
Edmund of Langley's tomb is made of a base of Purbeck marble. Its sides are made of alabaster and are decorated with heraldic shields. These shields show family symbols and coats of arms. Thirteen of the original twenty shields are still there.
The seven shields on the side that now faces west show:
- 1: A black two-headed eagle. This represents the Holy Roman Emperor.
- 2: The Royal arms with a white "label" (a strip with points). This represents the Prince of Wales, Edward the Black Prince.
- 3: Royal arms with a white label, representing Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence.
- 4: Royal arms with a white label, combined with the arms of Castile and León. This shows Edmund of Langley's marriage to Isabel, daughter of Peter of Castile.
- 5: Royal arms with a white label, representing Edmund of Langley himself.
- 6: The arms of France and England with a white border, representing Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester.
- 7: Royal arms with a five-pointed white label, representing Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster.
On the north end of the tomb, the three shields are:
- 1: A cross pattée (a cross with flared arms) between five small birds. This represents Saint Edward the Confessor.
- 2: The arms of France combined with England. These were the royal arms of King Richard II of England.
- 3: Three gold crowns, representing Saint Edmund the Martyr.
On the south end of the tomb, the three shields are:
- 1: The arms of England with a white border, representing Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent.
- 2: The arms of England with a blue border and gold fleurs de lis (lily symbols). This represents John Holland, 1st Earl of Huntingdon.
- 3: A gold lion, representing Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel.
Because the tomb includes the symbols of Bolingbroke and Holland, experts think it was made after Edmund married Joan Holland in November 1393. But it was likely made before Henry of Bolingbroke was sent away from England in September 1398. The shields on the east side of the tomb are all missing. The top of the tomb today is part of an altar stone. What might have been the original top slab is now on the floor of the north chapel. It has a hollowed-out shape where a monumental brass (a metal plate with an image) of a woman's figure would have been.
When the tomb was moved in 1877, workers found the bones of a man and a woman inside. These were identified as Edmund and his first wife, Isabel. A third body of a younger woman was also in the tomb, wrapped in lead. At the time, people thought this might be Anne de Mortimer, who was married to Edmund's second son, Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge.
In 1965, a scholar and politician named Enoch Powell wrote an article. He suggested that Edmund's tomb was originally made for King Richard II. Powell thought that Richard II might have decided not to use it after his first wife, Queen Anne of Bohemia, died. Instead, Richard chose to have a double tomb for both of them, which is still at Westminster Abbey. The unused tomb might then have been changed for Isabel's burial. Powell believes that the presence of Richard's personal arms, the symbols of royal saints, and the eagle of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (Anne's father), all suggest the tomb was first meant for King Richard.
All Saints' Church Today
All Saints' Church is part of a group of four local churches called the Benefice of Langelei. The main service each week is the Parish Eucharist on Sunday mornings. This service is also streamed online. It follows a traditional Anglican style of worship with a robed choir. The church has a team of bellringers.
For children, there are activities during the Sunday service. There is also a midweek group for pre-school children. A group called "Friends of All Saints" helps raise money for the church. They hold yearly events like a beer festival and a Christmas Tree Festival.
In 2021, a plan was announced to make changes to the church building. The goal is to make it easier for everyone to get around inside. It also aims to make the building more flexible for worship and community events. These plans include replacing steps with ramps and flat flooring. They also involve updating the heating system and removing the pews (long benches) to allow for different seating arrangements.
Images for kids
-
All Saints' Church, Kings Langley
-
The interior of All Saints' Church, looking east from under the tower.
-
The tomb of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, which was brought to the church in 1575 after the nearby King's Langley Priory had been dissolved.
