All Saints Church, Idmiston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church |
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| Location | Idmiston, Wiltshire, England |
| Built | 12th century |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Church of All Saints | |
| Designated | 18 February 1958 |
| Reference no. | 1023956 |
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All Saints Church is a very old church located in Idmiston, a village in Wiltshire, England. It was first built way back in the 12th century. This church is so special that it's officially recognized as a Grade I listed building by the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a building of great historical importance. Today, a group called The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it. The church stopped being used for regular services in 1977 and was handed over to the trust the following year.
Contents
What the Church Looks Like
The church is built from flint (a hard, grey stone) mixed with limestone. It has a tall tower at the west end, a main hall called a nave, and smaller sections on the sides called aisles. There's also a special area at the east end called the chancel.
How Old Parts of the Church Are
The church started being built in the 12th century. The only part left from that time is the lower section of the tower. You can see some old, roughly carved heads on the corbels (stone supports) under the tower's arch. These heads were part of the 12th-century church and were reused later.
In the 13th century, the chancel was built with tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. Later in the 13th century, the aisles were added. At some point, these aisles were made longer to go around the tower.
Changes Over Time
In the 15th century, a two-story porch was added to the north side. Most of the windows in the nave were changed, and a clerestory was built. A clerestory is an upper part of the nave walls that has windows to let in more light. The church also got decorative edges called parapets and funny stone carvings called gargoyles.
The tower used to have a tall, pointed roof called a steeple. But it was taken down in 1668. Later, a wooden belfry (where the bells are kept) was put in its place.
The Big Restoration
The church was greatly repaired and updated between 1865 and 1867. This work was done by a famous architect named John Loughborough Pearson. During the repairs, part of the tower and belfry fell down. So, the upper parts were rebuilt even taller, with a pyramid-shaped roof made of wooden shingles. The south door was replaced with a window, and the north wall of the chancel was rebuilt. New stained glass windows were put in the east and west ends of the church.
The roof over the chancel is from the 19th century. But the lower, flatter roofs over the nave and aisles are from the 15th century. They have beautifully carved bosses (decorations where roof timbers meet) and fine corbels.
Inside the Church
The font, which is used for baptisms, is from the 13th century. It's shaped like an octagon and made from a special dark stone called Purbeck Marble. The stone pulpit (where the priest gives sermons), the altar rail, and the pews (church benches) are all from the 19th century.
The tower holds four bells. Two of these bells are from the 17th century, and one is from the 18th century. However, they can't be rung right now.
Tombs and Memorials
Inside the church, you can see several tombs and memorials. One is a kneeling figure in a special alcove for Giles Rowbach, who died in 1633. He was likely the lord of the local manor (a large estate).
There are also wall tablets for John Bowle (1725–1788), his wife Elizabeth, and other family members. John Bowle was the vicar (priest) of Idmiston. He is best known for his important, detailed edition of the famous early 17th-century novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. You can also find two more Bowle family tombs in the churchyard from the 18th century.
What Happened to the Church
Over time, fewer and fewer people attended services at All Saints Church. Because of this, it eventually closed down and was declared "redundant." This meant it was no longer needed as a regular parish church. The role of the parish church was taken over by St Nicholas' Church in Porton.
In September 1978, the church was taken into the care of the Redundant Churches Fund. This group is now known as the Churches Conservation Trust, and they continue to look after All Saints Church today.
See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Southwest England
- List of ecclesiastical restorations and alterations by J. L. Pearson
