All Saints Church, Claverley Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints Church, Claverley
Tower of All Saints Church, Claverley, and churchyard cross
All Saints Church, Claverley Location in Shropshire
52°32′18″N 2°18′26″W / 52.5383°N 2.3072°W / 52.5383; -2.3072
OS grid reference	SO 793 934
Location	Claverley, Shropshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Parish church
Founder(s)	Roger de Montgomerie
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	9 March 1970
Architect(s)	W. Wood Bethell (rebuilding of tower)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone
Administration
Parish	Claverley
Deanery	Bridgnorth
Archdeaconry	Ludlow
Diocese	Hereford
Province	Canterbury

All Saints Church is a historic church in the village of Claverley, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it's a local church for the community. The church is a very important building, listed as a Grade I building, which means it's of exceptional interest.

History of the Church
What the Church Looks Like
- Outside the Church
- Inside the Church
Images for kids
Outside the Church Grounds
Events at the Church
See also

History of the Church

This church has a long history, going all the way back to the 7th century. The church you see today was started by Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, who passed away in 1094.

Later, around the late 1400s, the church's tower was made twice as tall. Strong supports called buttresses were also added to it. At the same time, a new chapel was built on the north side of the church. In 1902, the top two parts of the tower were rebuilt by W. Wood Bethell, making sure they looked exactly like the original design.

What the Church Looks Like

Outside the Church

All Saints Church is built from local red sandstone. It has a main area called the nave, with a higher row of windows called a clerestory. There are also side sections called aisles. The front part of the church, where the altar is, is called the chancel. It has two chapels, one on the north side and one on the south.

In the middle of the south side of the church is a tall, four-part tower. Next to it is a two-story porch, and on the other side is the south chapel. The tower has a round-headed window, which is a style from the Norman period. The chancel has a large window with five lights (sections) and is in a style called Decorated Gothic. The south chapel is in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. The north chapel has windows from both styles and is now used as a vestry (a room where clergy prepare).

Inside the Church

When you step inside, you'll see that the north arcade (a row of arches) is very old, from the early 1100s. It has round arches resting on circular piers (columns) with round tops called capitals.

There's a cool feature called the 'seat of penitence'. It's a round-headed niche formed by a part of the tower that sticks out inside the church. Another set of arches, from the mid-1200s, has octagonal piers with carvings of heads and leaves. Look closely, and you might spot "two dragons nibbling a human head"!

The font, where baptisms happen, is Norman and shaped like a tub with carvings. There's even a second, circular font that might also be Norman. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the Jacobean period and has carvings of rosettes.

One of the most exciting things inside are the old wall paintings! On the walls of the nave, there are paintings from around 1200. One shows a line of fighting knights, and below it, a painting of Saint Margaret of Antioch being martyred. Between the windows of the clerestory, there are paintings from the 1400s showing saints or apostles.

The church also has beautiful stained glass windows. The large window at the east end, from 1858, shows scenes from the Te Deum. In the north chapel, there's 16th-century glass that has been put back together, showing a female head, an angel, and vines. The window in the south chapel, from 1849, is based on Raphael's famous painting Transfiguration.

You can also find old monuments in the church. The oldest is a carved stone slab for Richard Spicer, who died in 1448. There's a large monument to Sir Robert Broke, who died in 1558, and his two wives. It's made of alabaster and shows three figures lying down on a tomb, with children standing around the sides.

The church also has a pipe organ built in 1906. It has a ring of eight bells. Some of these bells are very old, cast in the 1700s!

Images for kids

Medieval wall paintings in All Saints church.
More of the sequence of medieval wall paintings in All saints church.
Tombstone of William Gatacre (1499-1577) and Eleanor Mytton, now mounted on wall of All Saints church.
Tombstone of Francis Gatacre (died 1599) and Elizabeth Swynnerton, daughter of Humphrey Swynnerton. The stone is now mounted on a wall in the south chapel of All Saints church.
Chest tomb of Robert Broke, Speaker of the House of Commons in 1554, and his wives: Anne Waring and Dorothy Gatacre, daughter of William Gatacre.
Effigies of Sir Robert Broke, Anne Waring, his first wife, and Dorothy Gatacre, his second wife.
Anne Waring, first wife of Robert Broke
Dorothy Gatacre, second wife of Robert Broke
Robert Broke and his first wife, Anne, with their arms.
Robert Broke and Anne Waring with children.
More children of Robert Broke.
Date of death of Robert Broke, 6 January 1558. His inquisition post mortem gives 5 January.
Lion at the feet of Robert Broke effigy.
Memorial to Sir William Forbes Gatacre, a distinguished Victorian soldier of the Gatacre family of Claverley parish, although born near Stirling.

Outside the Church Grounds

Around the church, there are three other important structures. At the entrance to the churchyard, there's a 14th-century cross. It stands on a base with three steps and used to be in the road before it was moved. The lychgate, which is a covered gateway to the churchyard, is probably from the 1800s. It's made of brick with a tiled roof. The walls around the east side of the churchyard and the gate pillars are likely from the 1700s.

In the churchyard, there's a very old yew tree that is said to be 2,500 years old! There is also a war grave for an airman from World War II.

Events at the Church

For about 45 years, the church used to host an amazing Flower Festival every July. However, fewer people started visiting in the 2010s. The COVID pandemic stopped the event for two years and many volunteers left. Because of this, the flower festival hasn't started up again.

All Saints Church, Claverley facts for kids

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