All Saints Church, East Meon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, East Meon
All Saints' Church, East Meon
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Location	East Meon, Hampshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	http://www3.hants.gov.uk/parish/east-meon
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	c. 1080 or c. 1130–40
Dedication	All Saints
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Listed building – Grade I
Style	Norman, Early English
Specifications
Materials	Stone
Administration
Diocese	Portsmouth
Province	Canterbury

All Saints' Church is a church in the village of East Meon, Hampshire, England. It belongs to the Anglican faith. This church is a very old and important building, the oldest in the village. It's built so close to a hill that there wasn't space for a northern part of the church. Most of the church was built during the Norman period. Later, in the 1200s, a south chapel and aisle were added.

Discovering All Saints' Church

Building in Norman Times

Building the church started a long time ago. Some say it was around 1080, while others think it was between 1130 and 1140. It was likely built on the site of an even older Anglo-Saxon church. The church you see today is mostly from the Norman period. It was first built in the shape of a cross, about 110 feet long and 62 feet wide. You can still see the round Romanesque arches from that time.

The church tower was built around 1150. The tall, pointed spire on top, which is covered in lead, was added later, probably around 1230. Its decorations, like scallops and zigzags, are similar to those found on Winchester Cathedral. You can even see the spire from the South Downs Way walking path!

The Tournai font, made around 1130–40

Inside the church, there is a large and beautifully decorated Tournai font. This font was made around 1130–40 from a dark stone called Tournai marble. It was probably a gift from Henry of Blois, who was the Bishop of Winchester. The carvings on its sides were made by skilled artists from Flanders. They show stories like the creation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. You can also spot various animals, birds, and dragons carved into the stone.

Later Centuries (1200s-1800s)

In the early 1200s, a south chapel (also known as the Lady Chapel) and a south aisle were added to the church. These parts were built in the Early English style. The windows in the south aisle were put in later. The east window of the Lady Chapel and its wooden and alabaster screen (called a reredos) were added much later, in the 20th century, by Sir Ninian Comper.

Between 1470 and 1498, the chancel (the area around the altar) seems to have been rebuilt. We know this because of the coats of arms of Prior Hinton and the Priory and Convent of St Swithun found on the chancel's east wall. The windows in the south chapel also date from the late 1400s.

For a long time, during the 1700s and early 1800s, the north transept (a part of the church) was used as a Sunday school and a school for about 160 children. The school moved to its own building in 1845.

Recent Times (1800s-Today)

In 1869–70, Ewan Christian led a big restoration project inside the church. During this time, old high pews and galleries from the 1700s were removed. More rebuilding happened between 1906 and 1922, overseen by Sir Ninian Comper. He added the east window in the chancel, which is a copy of the original, and the altar. He also added the screen that separates the chancel from the Lady Chapel.

The pulpit, a raised stand for sermons, was made in 1706 and brought to All Saints' Church in 1906 from a church in London. In the same year, new wooden features were installed, including seats for the choir and screens in the archway separating the chancel from the south chapel. The church's organ was built in 1983 by Peter Wells.

More recently, the church hall was built in 2000. In 2008, a special Millennium embroidery, created by 40 people, was placed in the church.