All Saints Church, Leigh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church |
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| Location | Leigh, Wiltshire, England |
| Built | 14th century |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Church of All Saints | |
| Designated | 17 January 1955 |
| Reference no. | 1356042 |
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All Saints Church is a historic church located in Leigh, a village in Wiltshire, England. It was first built around the year 1250. Interestingly, the church wasn't always in its current spot. Most of it was moved in 1896 from a site about half a mile away!
Today, the church is a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic place. The part that wasn't moved, called the chancel, still stands in the old churchyard. It's now known as All Saints Chancel.
Contents
Why the Church Moved in 1896
By the early 1890s, the old church was in really bad shape. The path to it was often muddy and hard to use, especially in winter. An architect named C.E. Ponting thought the church should be fixed up. He also wanted the path to be improved.
However, a church leader named Hemming Robeson had a different idea. He said it was "quite impossible" to fix the church where it was. He suggested moving the main part of the church, stone by stone, to a better spot. This was a very bold plan!
A kind person, Mr. Charles T. Stevens, offered some land on Swan Lane. This new site was about half a mile to the south-east. It was much closer to where people lived in Leigh village. So, the big move began.
Building the New Church
The church leaders got permission to take down and rebuild the nave (the main part), the porch, and the tower. It was planned to cost no more than £1,300. This was a huge project!
To make sure everything went back together correctly, each stone and piece of wood was carefully marked. Drawings were made to show exactly where everything belonged. Then, all the pieces were moved to the new site and put back together.
The Church Porch
The porch, which is the entrance area, was built in the late 1300s. You can still see its original roof today. The door has handmade nails, which is pretty cool! There's also a special spot for a statue and possibly a stoup (a basin for holy water).
The walls of the nave are from the 1200s. But the roof has huge wooden beams that are very special for a church of this type. These beams have unique shapes and designs.
Look closely at the beams and bosses (decorative carvings) in the main part of the nave. You'll see carved heads and figures from the Jacobean period. This was a time in English history around the early 1600s.
At the front of the nave, the roof has an oak ceiling with panels. This part probably dates back to the 1400s. It was put back in place in 1638 when the roof was rebuilt. The carvings on the bosses here are very detailed and beautiful.
If you stand under this ceiling and look towards the back of the church, you can see words painted on the lower part of the bell tower. They are from the Bible, Colossians Chapter 3, Verse 16. It talks about letting "the word of Christ dwell in you richly."
Special Inscriptions
Moving the church was a big event, and it's remembered with special carvings. On the south side of the wooden molding, you can read:
Rebuilt here 1896 M.J. Milling Vicar.
E. Manners R. Bolton Ch. Wardens.
W. Light and J. Smith Builders.
C.E. Ponting Architect.
This tells us who was involved in the rebuilding.
Another carving on a south purlin (a roof beam) says:
I.T. I.L. C.W. 1783
This likely refers to church wardens from that year.
On an east truss (a main support beam), there's a carving that says:
John Waldron and John Painter Chappel Wardens 1717 and 18. John Flux Painter.
This tells us about people who looked after the chapel in the early 1700s.
The current roof was built in 1638. This is also recorded with a carving on the north side wood molding:
W.T. T.W. H.N. Carpenters
(with a fleur de lys between each initial), continuing:
Blanchadin Wake: John Waldron Church Wardens 1638.
These are the names of the carpenters and church wardens from that time.
Other Interesting Features
The church has a pulpit (where sermons are given) and a sounding board (a canopy above the pulpit) from the 1700s. The windows are from the 1300s and 1400s. In one window on the north side, you can still see a small piece of the original glass!
Some of the wooden pews (benches) near the pulpit might be from the 1600s. Near the door, you'll find the font, which is a basin used for baptisms. Its amazing story is written on a brass plate at its base.
A vicar named Rev. M.J. Milling found the font being used as a cheese press in an inn! He was told it had even been used as a cattle trough before that. This likely happened during a time in history when infant baptisms were not allowed. In 1897, the base of the font was found too. The whole font was then put back in its proper place in the church.
The ewer (a jug for water) used with the font was given in memory of D.A. Bird, G. Price, V. Ody, and R. Godwin. These brave people gave their lives in World War II.
The church also has old silver items. The chalice (a cup for communion wine) is from 1596, during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. A silver paten (a plate for communion bread) was made in 1723. There was also a pewter flagon (a large jug) and plate from 1776.
The Church Bells
All Saints Church has three bells.
- The largest bell was made in 1627. It has the words "Henry Neale Made Mee: 1627 GH:ESQVYER:EH:" inscribed on it.
- The middle bell says "Ave Maria: Gracia Plena" (which means "Hail Mary: Full of Grace"). It doesn't have a date, but experts think it was made around 1450 in Bristol.
- The third bell was made in 1729 by a bell founder named Abraham II Rudhall.
Sadly, the bells cannot be rung at the moment.
Leigh's Church History
For a long time, Leigh was connected to Ashton Keynes church. People in Leigh could have baptisms and marriages in their church. But they couldn't bury people there until 1865.
Leigh became its own separate village area in 1884. However, for church matters, it stayed linked to Ashton Keynes. Even in 1978, Leigh was still described as a "chapelry," meaning it was a smaller church connected to a larger one.
All Saints Church Today
Today, Leigh parish is part of the Upper Thames group of churches. This group includes churches in Ashton Keynes and Latton. The main church for the group is St Sampson's in Cricklade.
Because the church in Leigh has a small group of people attending, services are mostly held for special holidays. These include Easter, Christmas, and harvest festivals.
The Original Church Building
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The part of the church that wasn't moved is called All Saints Chancel. It's located in Waterhay. This old building is also a listed building (Grade II*). It's now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This trust takes care of old churches that are no longer used for regular services. The chancel was officially given to the Trust in 1978.
You can enter the chancel through a beautiful doorway from the 1200s. It has carvings of a human head and a beast's head. Inside, on the south wall, there's a window from the late 1200s. It has three tall, narrow windows under one arch.
On the walls of the chancel, you can see texts painted from the 1600s. They are framed with designs of clouds and scrolls. There's also a sedilia (seats for priests) and a piscina (a basin for washing communion items). In 1983, these old texts were repainted in their original style.
One of the painted texts says:
Genesis CXVII Ver 1.
I am the Almighty God. Walk before me and be thou perfect.
See also
