All Saints' Church, Winthorpe Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Winthorpe
All Saints' Church, Winthorpe
53°5′53.7642″N 0°47′19.1508″W / 53.098267833°N 0.788653000°W / 53.098267833; -0.788653000
OS grid reference	SK 81206 56360
Location	Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedication	All Saints
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Architect(s)	Sidney Gambier-Parry
Architectural type	Gothic/Victorian
Groundbreaking	1886
Completed	1888
Administration
Parish	Langford
Deanery	Newark and Southwell
Archdeaconry	Newark
Diocese	Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham
Province	York

All Saints' Church, Winthorpe is a very old church in Winthorpe, England. It is a special building, listed as 'Grade II', which means it's important to history. The church you see today was finished in 1888. However, there were at least two other churches on this spot before it, going all the way back to the 1200s! A church leader named Edward Handley had this church built to remember a family member.

History of All Saints' Church
Church Design and Features
Memorials and Tributes
- Handley Family Memorials
- Other Memorials
East Trent Group of Churches
See also

History of All Saints' Church

All Saints' Church is part of the Church of England. It was built between 1886 and 1888. The new church replaced an older one that was falling apart. Edward Handley, who was the new church leader, decided to build it. He was related to William Handley, who had been the church leader before him.

Edward Handley chose Sidney Gambier-Parry to design the new church. Sidney was the son of a kind person named Thomas Gambier-Parry. The building work was done by a company called Mackenzie & Sons from Newark-on-Trent. The beautiful stained-glass windows were made by Clement Heaton, James Butler, and Robert T. Bayne.

The Church's Old Location

The church stands on a historic spot. During the English Civil War in the 1600s, soldiers used this area. They were attacking Newark-on-Trent. The very first church on this site was badly damaged during that war.

Even before the war, in 1559, a report said the church's roof was already missing. The oldest records show a church here from at least the 1200s. But we don't know much about it before the late 1600s.

Building the New Church

After the Civil War, a second church was built. It had big repairs in 1779 when its tower fell down. When this second church was taken down in 1886, workers found interesting things. They found a base for a cannon, gunpowder, and hundreds of skeletons. They also found a secret room inside the old church walls. This room held the remains of the Handley family ancestors.

Building the new church started in August 1886. Sir Henry Bromley placed the first stone on November 1, 1886, which is All Saints' Day. The church was finished in 1888. On June 19, 1888, the Bishop of Lincoln officially opened it. The opening was delayed because the Bishop of Southwell was sick.

Church's Special Status

All Saints' Church became a 'Grade II listed' building on October 15, 1984. This means it's a very important historical building. At the same time, a tomb in the churchyard and the gate pillars at the entrance were also listed.

In 1996, Anthony Keeble Shaw became the priest for All Saints' Church. He also looked after two other churches nearby. For some years now, the church hasn't had a priest living in Winthorpe.

Church Design and Features

View of the southwestern side of All Saints' Church, Winthorpe

The new church is mostly built from red bricks from Walkeringham. Special Ancaster stone was used for the outside decorations. Red Mansfield stone was used inside.

The Tower and Bells

The new tower, with its brick spire, is at the front-left corner of the church. The main entrance is at the bottom of the tower. There's also a staircase inside the porch that goes up to the bell tower. Two new bells were added here, along with three old bells from the previous church. Now, the church has six bells in total.

The entrance arch has stone trim and a stone cross above it. The tower has windows on each side. The bell chamber, on the second floor, has four pairs of tall, narrow windows. The spire has four small windows and a pointy top with stone decorations. The church roof is covered with tiles, and the ends of the roof have stone caps.

Inside the Church

A round room called a baptistry sticks out from the west side of the church. It has three tall, narrow windows. The south wall of the main part of the church has three double windows. Each of these has a five-leaf shape above it. The south wall of the chancel (the area near the altar) has three more tall, narrow windows with stone trim.

The main parts of the new church are in the same places as the old one. However, the baptistry is where the old west tower used to be. The new church is much bigger than the old one. The current tower, the vestry (a room for clergy), the north aisle, the organ room, and the far end of the chancel are all built on new ground. The vestry was built over the Handley family's burial vault.

The north aisle has five arched windows with stone trim. The organ room has a double window with a four-leaf shape above it. Besides the stained-glass windows, the church also has gas lighting. The most famous stained-glass windows are the three above the altar. They were given by Mrs. Edward Gordon to remember Cassandra Handley. These windows show Christ surrounded by some of the saints.

Old Parts of the Church

Some parts of the old church are still around. In the churchyard, you can find an oval stone tablet and a pointy stone decoration. Inside the church, there's a special ceiling decoration, an old door lock with its key, the royal arms, and some memorials from the previous church. Parts of the very first church are built into the churchyard wall.

Memorials and Tributes

Edward Handley paid for the new church to be built. He did this to remember his cousin, Philip Handley. You can find memorial plaques for both men in the main part of the church.

Handley Family Memorials

Other plaques dedicated to the Handley family are on the walls of the vestry. These remember people like William Farnworth Handley, John Handley, his wife Martha Story Handley, and Benjamin Handley. Behind the organ, there are plaques for Benjamin and Frances Handley and four of their children. One of their sons, Benjamin Handley, sadly drowned in the Tagus river in 1813. Memorials for Henry Handley (Edward's father) and Georgiana Handley (Edward's sister) are in the chancel.

Other Memorials

In the organ room, there are memorials for William Rastell and his wife Mary, their son William Thomas Rastell, and Annie Ranstall. Also, Roger Pocklington and his wife Mary, their son Roger Pocklington and his wife Jane, and Christopher Morley and his wife Charlotte are remembered here.

In the main part of the church, you'll find memorials for Robert Hunt Bradley (a churchwarden), Robert Taylor (a doctor) and his wife Elizabeth, and their son Robert Taylor. There are other tributes scattered throughout the church.

East Trent Group of Churches

All Saints' Church, Winthorpe, is part of a group of eleven churches called the East Trent Group of Churches. David Milner has been the priest for All Saints' since 2006. He also helps the other churches in the group.

The other churches in this group are:

All Saints' Church, Winthorpe facts for kids

Contents