All Saints Church, Aldwincle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints’ Church, Aldwincle
All Saints’ Church, Aldwincle, from the west
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OS grid reference	TL 011 815
Location	Aldwincle, Northamptonshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	25 May 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	13th century
Completed	15th century
Specifications
Materials	Limestone, Roofs in lead and Collyweston stone slate

All Saints’ Church is a very old and special church in the village of Aldwincle, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This church is so important that it's listed as a Grade I building. This is the highest level of protection for historic places. The Churches Conservation Trust now takes care of it.

History of All Saints’ Church

Building the Church Through the Centuries

The church building first started in the 1200s. Over the next 100 years, more parts were added. These included the north aisle (a side section), the vestry (a room for changing clothes), and the clerestory (the upper part of the nave with windows).

In the 1400s, the church got even more additions. The tall tower, the entrance porch, and a special chapel were built. This chapel was known as a chantry chapel. It was built by the Chambre family around 1488-1489.

Changes and Famous Visitors

Later, in 1863, the chancel (the area around the altar) was repaired and updated. This was part of a big movement called the Victorian restoration. The rest of the church was also restored in 1893.

By this time, All Saints’ Church had joined with another church, St Peter's, in Aldwincle. All Saints’ Church was not used as much anymore. In 1976, it was officially declared "redundant," meaning it was no longer needed for regular church services. Since then, it has become a museum for architecture.

A very famous person, the poet John Dryden, was born nearby in 1631. He was baptised right here in All Saints’ Church. Many other important rectors (church leaders) also served here over the years.

Architecture of All Saints’ Church

Outside the Church

All Saints’ Church is built from limestone. Its roofs are covered with lead and a special type of stone called Collyweston stone slate. The church has several main parts. These include the nave (the main part where people sit) with a clerestory above it. There are also north and south aisles on the sides.

You'll see a porch on the south side, and a chancel at the east end. There's a chapel to the south of the chancel and a vestry to the north. At the west end, there's a tall tower.

The Tower Details

The tower has four main levels, called stages. Strong buttresses (supports) are at each corner. Different levels are separated by string courses. These are decorative bands carved with various images.

At the bottom of the tower, there's a doorway on the west side. Above this, in the second and third stages, is a window with three sections. Higher up, in the third stage, you'll find a small niche (a shallow alcove). The very top stage is the largest. It's mostly filled with bell openings on each side. These openings are square-shaped and have two sections each. Above them, there's a decorative band called a frieze with quatrefoil shapes. The top of the tower has a battlemented parapet (a low wall with gaps like a castle). At each corner, there's a tall, decorated pinnacle.

Windows and Walls

The sides of both the north and south aisles have a doorway and windows with three sections. The clerestory, which is the upper part of the nave, has two square-headed windows on each side. These windows have two sections.

There are also two-section windows on the east and west sides of the north aisle. You'll find another at the west end of the south aisle. The large east window has four sections. The north and south walls of the chancel have two-section windows. The chapel has a four-section window on its east side. It also has two three-section windows on its south wall. All these windows have a special stone pattern called Perpendicular tracery. There is also a doorway in the south wall of the chapel.

Inside the Church

Main Areas and Features

Inside, the main arcades (rows of arches) each have three sections, called bays. The arches rest on round piers (columns). In the south wall of the chancel, there's a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels). You can also see brackets for statues on both sides of the east window.

At the southeast corner of the north aisle, there's another piscina. This one is from the 1300s but is damaged. A third piscina is located in the chapel. The font, where baptisms take place, is octagonal (eight-sided) and dates back to the 1200s. The communion rail, which separates the altar area, is in a style called Jacobean.

Art and Memorials

In the nave, you can still see parts of an old wall painting. This painting shows Saint Christopher. Above the arch leading to the chancel, there's a royal hatchment. This is a special shield-like painting that shows a family's coat of arms. It is flanked by the Ten Commandments. In the chancel, there's another hatchment for the Spinacre family.

On the floor of the chancel, there's a brass plaque. It remembers William Aldwyncle, who passed away in 1463. On the north wall of the north aisle, there's a brass plaque for John Pykering. He was a doctor who died in 1659. The words on his plaque were written by himself. Some of the church windows still have medieval stained glass. The church also has old silver items, like a cup and a paten (a small plate) from around 1570. There are also two patens from 1861.

External Features of All Saints’ Church

Outside the church, in the churchyard, there are two items that are also listed as historic buildings. These are a headstone from 1696 and a chest tomb from the 1600s. At the entrance to the churchyard, there is a lychgate. This is a covered gateway. It was built to remember Fanny Satterfield Hodgson, who died in 1917.

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Northamptonshire
• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands