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
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 in Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire, England, is a historic church that has been around for a very long time. The building you see today was finished in 1888, but there were at least two older churches on this spot, with the first one dating back to the 1200s! This church is considered a special building, listed as Grade II, which means it's important for its history and architecture. Edward Handley, who was the church's rector (a type of priest), had the current church built to remember one of his relatives.

A Look Back: The Church's Story
Church Design and Features
Memorials and Tributes
East Trent Group of Churches
See Also

A Look Back: The Church's Story

All Saints' Church, Winthorpe, is part of the Church of England and belongs to the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. It was built between 1886 and 1888. This new church replaced an older building that was in bad shape. Edward Handley, the new rector, decided to build it. He was related to William Handley, who had been the rector of the old church for many years.

Edward Handley chose Sidney Gambier-Parry as the architect. Sidney was known for his Gothic designs. The building work was done by Mackenzie & Sons from Newark-on-Trent. The beautiful stained-glass windows were made by Clement Heaton, James Butler, and Robert T. Bayne.

Where the Church Stands

The church stands on a historic spot, off Gainsborough Road. During the English Civil War in the 1600s, this area was used by soldiers 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 chancel (the area around the altar) already had no roof!

The oldest church here dates back to at least the 13th century (the 1200s). After the Civil War, a second church was built. This second church had major repairs in 1779 when its tower fell down and had to be rebuilt.

Discoveries and New Beginnings

When the second church was taken down in 1886, workers found some amazing things. They discovered a base for a cannon, gunpowder, and hundreds of skeletons! Also, a hidden room inside the old church contained the remains of the Handley family ancestors.

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

A Protected Building

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

In 1996, Anthony Keeble Shaw became the priest-in-charge of All Saints' Church. He also looked after two other churches nearby and inspected church schools. In recent years, the house where the priest used to live was sold, so the parish no longer has a priest living in Winthorpe.

Church Design and Features

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

The new church was built mostly with red Walkeringham brick. Ancaster stone was used for the outside decorations, and red Mansfield stone was used inside. The new tower, with its brick spire, is at the church's northwest corner.

The Tower and Bells

The main entrance to the church is through the lower part of the tower. Inside, there's a porch with stairs leading up to the belfry (where the bells are). Two new bells were added to three old bells from the previous church. Later, the number of bells was increased to six.

The entrance arch has stone trim, and above it is a stone cross. The ground floor of the tower has windows on different sides. The bell chamber, on the second floor, has four pairs of tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The spire has four small windows called lucarnes and a pointed top decorated with stone carvings called crockets. The church roof is tiled, and the ends of the roof are capped with stone.

Inside the Church

A rounded part called an apsidal baptistry sticks out from the west side of the nave (the main part of the church). It has three lancet windows. The south wall of the nave has three double lancet windows, each topped with a five-leaf design.

The nave and chancel are in the same places as in the old church. 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, vestry (a room for the priest), north aisle (a side section), organ chamber, and the far eastern part of the chancel are all built on ground that was empty before. The vestry, though, was built over the Handley family's burial vault.

The north aisle has five arched windows. The organ chamber has a double lancet window topped with a four-leaf design. Besides the natural light from the stained-glass windows, the church also has gas lighting. The most famous stained-glass windows are the three lancet windows above the altar at the east end of the chancel. These were given by Mrs. Edward Gordon to remember Cassandra Handley. They show Christ surrounded by some saints.

Old Reminders

Besides the three old bells, some other parts of the former church can still be seen. In the churchyard, there's an oval stone tablet and a pinnacle (a small, pointed tower). Inside the church, you can find an old ceiling decoration called a ceiling boss, a door lock with its key, the royal arms, and some monuments from the previous church. Parts of the very first church are now built into the churchyard wall.

Memorials and Tributes

The cost of building the new church was paid by Edward Handley. He did this to honor his cousin, Philip Handley. You can find memorial tablets (special plaques) for both men in the church's nave.

Other tablets dedicated to members of the Handley family are on the walls of the vestry. These include tributes to William Farnworth Handley, John Handley, his wife Martha Story Handley, their son John Handley, and Benjamin Handley. Behind the organ, there are tablets honoring Benjamin and Frances Handley, and four of their children. One of their sons, Benjamin Handley, sadly drowned in the Tagus river in 1813 when he was young. Memorials to Henry Handley (Edward's father) and Georgiana Handley (Edward's sister) are in the chancel.

In the organ chamber, you'll find memorials to William Rastell and his wife Mary, their son William Thomas Rastell, Annie Ranstall, Roger Pocklington and his wife Mary, their son Roger Pocklington and his wife Jane, and Christopher Morley and his wife Charlotte. In the nave, there are memorials for churchwarden Robert Hunt Bradley, doctor Robert Taylor and his wife Elizabeth, and their son Robert Taylor. Other tributes are placed throughout the church.

East Trent Group of Churches

All Saints' Church, Winthorpe, is part of a group of eleven parishes called the East Trent Group of Churches. David Milner has been the priest-in-charge at All Saints' since 2006, and he supports this group. The other churches in this group are:

All Saints' Church, Winthorpe facts for kids

Contents