All Saints Church, Leamington Spa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Parish Church, Leamington Spa |
|
|---|---|
All Saints' Parish Church, Leamington Spa
|
|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Anglo-Catholicism |
| History | |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Leamington Priors |
| Province | Canterbury |
All Saints' Church is a very important church in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is known as the main parish church for the town. This building is so special that it has a Grade II* listing, meaning it's a very important historic place. The church welcomes everyone and believes in fairness for all people, including women in leadership roles and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Contents
What Makes All Saints' Church Special?
This church was built in the 1800s in a style called Gothic Revival. This means it looks like the grand churches from the Middle Ages. People have said it's "one of the largest Church of England parish churches." It's even big enough to rival many cathedrals! You can find it right in the middle of Leamington Spa, close to the River Leam.
A Look Back: The History of All Saints' Church
The story of All Saints' Church goes back a long way.
Early Days of the Church
In 1086, a very old book called the Domesday Book mentioned a priest in "Lamintone." This was an old name for Leamington. While it didn't specifically say there was a church, it suggests there was a Christian community. The first clear record of a church here is from the 1100s. Back then, Leamington was just a tiny village, or hamlet.
Later, in the 1300s, a tall tower was added to the west side of the church. In the 1700s, a south porch was built. The first natural spring that made Leamington famous was right outside the church's main entrance.
Building the Modern Church
By 1843, Leamington had grown into a busy spa town. The church was no longer in open fields. It was now at the heart of the town. Two of Leamington's founders, Benjamin Satchwell and William Abbotts, are buried in the churchyard.
Most of the church you see today was built between 1843 and 1869. A vicar named John Craig led and paid for much of this work. He even helped design a lot of it himself! In 1867, the south transept (a part of the church that sticks out) was added.
The last big changes happened from 1898 to 1902. An architect named Sir Arthur Blomfield added more parts to the church. He added two western bays to the nave and a new bell tower. These additions made the church much bigger, able to seat about 2000 people.
More recently, from 2007 to 2008, the area around the church was updated. A new sculpture called 'Spring' was put where the original spa spring used to be.
All Saints' Church Today
All Saints' Church is still a very active place of worship. On Sundays and for other important services, a choir sings. Even though Leamington has grown, All Saints' is still known as the town's main Parish Church.
The church also hosts many events. They have organ concerts and other musical performances. They also run an annual All Saints' Arts Festival. There's even a group called LGBTXians for Christians who are also part of the LGBTQIA+ community. You can also find a lively Ukrainian cafe inside the church. It's open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Leaders of All Saints' Church
Vicars of Leamington from 1823
- Robert Downes 1823 – 1839
- John Craig 1839 – 1877
- The Hon. J.W. Leigh 1877 – 1884
- Walter Furneaux 1884 – 1896
- Cecil Hook 1896 – 1906
- W. Armstrong Buck 1906 – 1916
- Frederick Feist 1916 – 1933
- G.C. Rolfe 1933 – 1943
- R.C. Streatfield 1943 – 1959
- Anthony Rouse 1959 – 1963
- Idwal Jones 1963 – 1980
- Ian Campbell 1980 – 1991
- J. Gareth Miller 1991–1993
- Interregnum 1993 – 1995
- George Warner 1995 – 2002 (Priest-in-Charge of All Saints and of Holy Trinity)
- Christopher Wilson 2003 – present (Priest-in-Charge, later Vicar of All Saints and of Holy Trinity)
Directors of Music
- Peter Smith
- Simon Tayton, BA, MSc, FCMI
- Bea van der Kaaij
- Julian Parkin 2008 – 2013
- David Williams, FRCO 2013 – 2014
- Simon Lawford, BA, MA, FRCO 2014
- Richard Cook, BA 2014
- Simon Tayton, BA, MSc, FCMI 2014 – 2017
- Suzanne Green, BA, MA 2018 – 2019
- Suzanne Green & Alex Silverman (Job Share) 2019–2022
- Alex Silverman 2022-present
The Church Organ
All Saints' Church has a beautiful pipe organ. It was built by William Hill & Sons in 1879. A pipe organ is a large musical instrument that makes sound by sending air through many pipes. It has been updated a few times since then. These updates were done by companies like Hill, Norman and Beard in 1926 and Longstaff & Jones in 1981. You can find more details about this organ in the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organists of All Saints' Church
- Henry T Elliston 1820
- Henry Matthews 1864
- Thomas Bladon 1876
- Frank Spinney, FCO 1878
- Walter Spinney 1888
- W H Bellamy 1894
- Lionel Wiggins, Hon RCM FRCO ARCM 1922
- Robert Dickinson, BMus FRCO LRAM 1951
- Hugh Large, FRCO ARCM 1956
- Neil Wade, ARCM, ARCO 1964
- Graham Steed, BMus FRCO 1965
- Alan Jones 1967
- Derrick Stiff 1968
- Keith Sedgebeer, BA 1970
- David M Palmer 1972
- Robert E Munns, FRAM, ARCO, ARCM 1983
- John Wilks, BA BMus FRCO 1987
- Colin Druce, GBSM FRCO ARCM 1988
- Sean Montgomery, ARCO 1998
- Jeremy Meager, ARCO 2007
- Cynthia Hall, MA FRCO 2009
- David Williams, FRCO 2012
- Christopher Beaumont, BMus(hons) MA FTCL 2019
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Todos los Santos (Leamington Spa) para niños
