All Saints Church, Curland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Closed
Location
Location	Curland, Somerset, England
Architecture
Architect(s)	Benjamin Ferrey
Architectural type	Church
Completed	1856

All Saints Church is an old church building in Curland, Somerset, England. It used to be a Church of England parish church. A famous architect named Benjamin Ferrey designed it. The church was built between 1855 and 1856. It replaced an even older church that stood in the same spot.

In 1972, the church was no longer needed for worship. Today, it is a private home. Since 1955, it has been a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building. In the churchyard, there's also an old stone tomb from the early 1700s. It belongs to the Slade family and is also a Grade II listed building.

History of All Saints Church

All Saints Church was built because the old church in Curland was falling apart. It was built between 1855 and 1856. Benjamin Ferrey drew the plans for the new church.

How the Church Was Funded

Most of the money for the new church came from Rev. Prebendary Lance. He was the rector (head priest) of Buckland St Mary. Other people also donated money. The Church Building Association of the diocese gave £60. This was in 1855, and the church was expected to cost about £420.

Building the New Church

The first stone of the new church was laid on August 28, 1855. Rev. Charles Leigh Pemberton did this. He was the rector for both Curry Mallet and Curland. The church was completely rebuilt from its foundations. Mr. H. Davis from Taunton was the builder. Mr. J. Billing from Buckland St Mary watched over the work.

Workers reused stones from the old Curland church. They also used extra stones from the chancel of the church at Buckland St Mary. That church was also being rebuilt at the time, also designed by Ferrey.

Opening and Later Use

All Saints Church opened again on October 28, 1856. Because the new church was built in the exact same shape as the old one, it didn't need to be officially blessed again.

The church was used for worship until October 27, 1972. After that, it was no longer needed. From 1974, it was used for storage. Then, in 1991, it was changed into a house.

Architecture of the Church

All Saints Church is built from flint stones. It has special Hamstone details. The roof is made of clay tiles. The church is built in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in England a long time ago.

Windows and Design

The church has a large three-light window at the west end. It also has four two-light windows on the sides. These windows came from the chancel of Buckland St Mary's church. The three-light window at the east end was new. It had special glass made by James Powell and Sons from Whitefriars.

The church was designed to hold 70 people. It has three main parts:

• The nave (the main part where people sit)
• The chancel (the area near the altar)
• A south porch (an entrance area)

A small bell-turret was added to the west end. It was made to hold two bells.

Inside the Church

The roof inside the church was made of stained wood. The altar area had special encaustic tiles. The pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) and the reading desk were made of stained oak wood.

Mr. Gould from Chard did the glass work. Mr. A. Stansell from Taunton did the painting and patterns on the reredos (a screen behind the altar). The tablets with the commandments were a gift from Mr. J. Stephens. Mr. T. D. Ward from Taunton engraved them.