All Saints Church, Holdenby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church, Holdenby |
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| OS grid reference | SP 691 675 |
| Location | Holdenby, Northamptonshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Richard Holdenby |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 2 November 1954 |
| Architect(s) | Sir Henry Dryden (chancel) Sir George Gilbert Scott (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1330 |
| Completed | 1844 |
| Closed | 1972 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Lias ashlar stone, tiled roofs |
All Saints Church in Holdenby, Northamptonshire, is a very old Anglican church in England. It's no longer used for regular church services, but it's looked after by a special group called the Churches Conservation Trust. This church is considered a very important old building, listed as Grade II*.
Contents
History of All Saints Church
The church you see today was mostly built a long time ago, between 1330 and 1340. A man named Richard Holdenby, who was the local lord of the manor, built it. We know there was an even older church here because a church leader (called a rector) was mentioned in records from 1220. But there are no parts left of that first church.
Building the Church Over Time
The main part of the church (the nave), the side sections (the aisles), and the bottom of the tower were built in the 1300s. In the 1400s, the top part of the tower was added. Also, the north aisle was changed, and its roof was made taller.
In the 1570s, Sir Christopher Hatton, who was a very important person working for Queen Elizabeth I, built a new large house nearby. He moved the village houses away from the church, leaving it all alone.
Later Changes and Restoration
In 1843–44, the chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) was rebuilt. This was designed by Sir Henry Dryden. The church was then greatly improved and repaired between 1867 and 1868 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. This type of repair work is known as a Victorian restoration.
During this restoration, new, steeply sloped roofs were added to the nave and the south aisle. The decorative stone patterns in the windows (called tracery), the stained glass, and the doors were all replaced. A new porch was also added on the south side. In 1874, a special room for the organ was built next to the chancel.
In 1972, All Saints Church was no longer needed for regular services. It then came under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, which helps look after old churches.
Architecture of the Church
The church is built from a type of stone called lias ashlar stone. This means the stones are cut into neat blocks. The roofs are covered with tiles that look like fish scales.
Outside the Church
The church has a main area (nave) with side sections (north and south aisles). It also has a chancel and a tower at the west end. The tower has three levels. It has strong supports called buttresses on its sides.
At the very top of the tower, there are openings for bells. The top edge of the tower has a crenellated parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. The chancel has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The large east window has three lancet windows with a diamond-shaped window above them.
The south aisle has two windows with three sections each. The porch, which has a pointed roof (a gable), stands between these windows. Along the north side of the north aisle, there are three windows with two sections each and a doorway.
Inside the Church
Inside, the nave has rows of arches (called arcades) supported by eight-sided pillars (called piers). At the top of each pillar, there's a carved stone support (a corbel) shaped like a human head.
In the south aisle, you can find a special area for a tomb and a small basin called a piscina, which was used for washing sacred vessels. The beautiful wooden screen that separates the nave from the chancel (called a rood screen) was originally in a nearby grand house, Holdenby House. It was moved to the church around 1700. This screen is covered in detailed carvings of lions, plants, and shiny gilded (gold-covered) heads and suns. A cross was added to the screen in 1867.
The wooden screen behind the altar (called a reredos) also came from Holdenby House. The wooden pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the 1700s but was changed during the Victorian era. The eight-sided font, used for baptisms, is from the medieval period and was also changed in Victorian times.
The church also has a wheeled coffin bier (a stand for a coffin) from the Victorian period and a wooden alms box for donations. Above the south door, you can see the Royal arms of King George I. The wooden seats for the choir in the chancel are from the 1400s and were originally in Lincoln Cathedral. They have special carved seats underneath called misericords, with various images.
Wall Decorations and Memorials
On the walls of the nave and aisles, there are seven painted panels with decorative borders. These panels have text from an old Bible (the Bishops' Bible of 1568), so they are thought to be from the time of Queen Elizabeth I. There are also metal panels from the Victorian period with the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Creed written on them.
The walls of the chancel are decorated with patterns and pictures of two angels. In one of the windows in the south aisle, you can see small pieces of stained glass from the 1300s. Most of the other stained glass is from the Victorian period.
At the east end of the south aisle, there is a special floor memorial made of alabaster stone for William Holdenby, who died in 1490, and his wife. The church also has memorials for other people who lived at Holdenby House, including Henry Agar-Ellis, 3rd Viscount Clifden, and for members of the White family. The organ, which has two keyboards (called manuals), was built around 1890.
Burials
- William Hatton, a member of parliament in the 1500s, is buried here.
See also
