All Saints' Church, Netheravon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Netheravon |
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All Saints' Church from the north-west
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| Location | Netheravon, Wiltshire |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th century or earlier |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1964 |
| Style | Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Early English Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint |
| Bells | 6 |
| Tenor bell weight | 19cwt-2qrs-0lbs in E |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Netheravon |
| Benefice | Avon River Team |
| Deanery | Stonehenge |
| Archdeaconry | Sarum |
| Diocese | Salisbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of All Saints is the main Church of England parish church for the village of Netheravon, Wiltshire, England. A church has stood on this spot near the River Avon since Saxon times. It is considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade I listed building.
History of the Church
In the late Saxon period, before the Norman Conquest in 1066, Netheravon was a large and busy village. The size of the church's remaining Saxon parts shows this. By the early 11th century, there was a church here shaped like a cross (called a cruciform church). It had a central tower, a main hall (the nave), and a small rounded end (an apse).
By the time of the Doomsday survey in 1086, the church was described as being in ruins. However, it was rebuilt soon after, during the early Norman period. Much of that Norman work can still be seen today. The tower was made taller when the church was rebuilt, but it still used the older Saxon base.
The nave (main hall) and chancel (area around the altar) were rebuilt again in the 13th century. Some older Norman parts were kept. The aisles (passageways on the sides) were rebuilt in the 15th century. Part of the roof was replaced in the early 1600s. New decorative tops (called pinnacles) were added to the tower in 1626, but these are no longer there.
The church had a big repair and improvement project (a major restoration) starting in 1888. This work was led by C. E. Ponting. It included plastering the walls and making the roof higher. The south aisle was made longer, and the 13th-century arch leading to the chancel was replaced. In the early 1980s, a large crack was found in the tower. About £50,000 was spent to fix and restore it.
Church Architecture
For a small village, this church is quite large and impressive. The most important part of the church is its big West Tower. This tower is mostly a Saxon structure. It is a rare example of a large building from before the Norman Conquest that is still standing. Experts have different ideas about how old the tower is. Some think it dates back to the 9th century, while others say the 11th century. Most agree that the lower half of the tower was the original central tower of the church before 1066. It was made taller in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Inside the tower, there are two large arches from before the Norman Conquest. One arch on the west side has an 11th-century door, which is the main entrance to the church. A larger, round arch, about 19 feet (5.8 meters) high, is on the east side. This arch connects the tower to the nave (main hall). Historic England has called this arch "most impressive."
The nave was built in the 13th century. It has a simple Early English style. You can see tall, narrow windows with pointed tops (called lancet windows) and a row of small windows high up on the wall (a clerestory). The nave roof is quite high and steeply sloped. The chancel (altar area) is also from the 13th century. It has simple lancet windows and a large window with three sections at the east end. The nave and chancel used to be connected by a 13th-century arch. However, this arch was taken down and rebuilt in 1888 in a style that looked like old Romanesque buildings (called Romanesque Revival).
In the chancel, there are two memorials on the walls. One is for Thomas Herne of Bloomsbury who died in 1799. The other is for Daniel Herne, who died 15 years later.
The Church Bells
The tower holds a heavy set of six bells. The largest bell, called the tenor, weighs about 991 kilograms (19 and a half hundredweight) and is tuned to the note E. In 1553, there were three bells and a small sanctus bell. Later, some bells were melted down and recast, or new ones were added. This happened in 1585 by John Wallis of Salisbury bell foundry and in 1695 by Samuel Knight. Samuel Knight also cast a set of twelve bells for Southwark Cathedral in London about 40 years later. By 1609, there was also a treble bell (the highest-pitched bell), but we don't know who made it. By the time of the 1911 restoration, there were five bells.
In 1911, the bells had a major update by John Taylor & Co from Loughborough, Leicestershire. This work included recasting (remaking) the treble bell from 1609 and the tenor bell from 1588. The other bells were retuned. A new treble bell was added, making a total of six bells. All the bells were rehung in a new cast iron frame.
The fifth bell was later replaced in 1945, also by John Taylor & Co. So, the current set of six bells includes four Taylor bells (three from 1911 and one from 1945). The other two older bells are from 1585 by John Wallis and 1695 by Samuel Knight. Today, these two older bells are the 4th and 3rd bells in the set.
