All Saints Church, Lindfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church, Lindfield |
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Interior of All Saints Church, Lindfield
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| 51°00′58″N 0°04′42″W / 51.01622°N 0.07837°W | |
| Location | High Street, Lindfield, West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Style | Early English |
| Years built | Fourteenth century |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lindfield, West Sussex |
All Saints Church, Lindfield is a historic church in Lindfield, West Sussex, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church was built a very long time ago, during the Middle Ages. It is known for its beautiful Early English style of architecture.
The church is made from special local stones called Sussex and Ardingly sandstone. Most of it was built in the early 1300s. For a while, in the late 1500s and early 1600s, the church was in bad shape. It was almost falling apart! But in the mid-1800s, it was fully repaired and made new again. A big part of this was thanks to a kind priest named Reverend Francis Hill Sewell.
Contents
History of the Church
How Lindfield Church Began
The story of All Saints Church is connected to the very first days of the village of Lindfield, West Sussex. The village's name, Lindefeldia, means "open land with lime trees." This name first appeared in a Saxon document from 765 AD. In this document, King Ealdwulf of Sussex gave land to build a special church called a minster. This first church might have been built right where All Saints Church stands today!
The Church in the 1100s
Around 1150, an important church leader named Archbishop Theobald confirmed that the land around Lindfield belonged to a group of church officials in South Malling. The leader of this group became the main priest for Lindfield church. He had to live in Lindfield for at least three months each year. His job was also to make sure the church was always repaired when needed.
Building the Church in the 1300s
The church you see today was mostly built in the early 1300s. It was made from strong sandstone blocks and had a roof of flat Horsham stone slabs. The church tower has a pointed roof covered in wooden tiles, with a metal weather vane on top.
The church has a main area called a nave and smaller areas called chancels. The tall West Tower was also built in the 1300s. It has three levels:
- The bottom level has a window with three curved tops.
- The middle level has a tall, narrow window.
- The top level has a round window, like an eye.
The chancel area also had chapels on its north and south sides. These chapels had thin pillars, typical of the Late Perpendicular style of English Gothic architecture.
Challenges in the 1600s
In the late 1500s and early 1600s, the church started to fall apart. It became almost ruined. In 1617, a church leader named Archbishop George Abbot gave permission to fix the church. He said it was "in ruins without battlements."
Even with permission, fixing the church was hard for the people of Lindfield. There were only about 290 people who paid church taxes. One person, Thomas Pelling, was even fined for "refusing to pay his taxation for the repayring of the decayed church of Lindfeild."
Troubles in the 1700s
The church continued to have problems in the 1700s. It was said that "no part of England was more desolate" than this church and its parish. In 1758, records show that the priest at the time said he only received £20 a year. He asked for more money, but his request was turned down. Because of this, there was often no priest to lead services, and sometimes no services were held at all.
Restoration in the 1800s
Things began to change in 1841 when Reverend Francis Hill Sewell arrived. He was a university graduate and stayed as the priest in Lindfield until he passed away in 1862.
In 1847, a group called the Cambridge Camden Society looked at the church. This group wanted to make churches look as grand as they did in the Middle Ages. They said the church was in "a most wretched condition." They were surprised that any repairs were even being tried. They noted that the new windows were done well, but the rest of the church was still a mess.
Reverend Sewell cared deeply about the church. He gave more than £650 of his own money to help with the repairs. The total cost was about £2,000. Thanks to his efforts and others, the church was fully restored in the mid-1800s.
The 1900s and Beyond
On September 10, 1951, All Saints Church was given a special status. It was declared a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
All Saints Church Today
Today, All Saints Church still has many of its old features. You can see several old tombs from the 1700s. For example, in the North chapel, there is a marble plaque for John Court, who died in 1794. The South chapel has a plaque for Sarah Board, who died in 1765.
In 2013, a project called "Aspire" was started. Its goal was to "repair, re-order and re-vitalise" the church. A lot of this work was finished in 2018. This included removing the old pews and putting in a new stone floor with heating underneath.
Today, the church continues to serve the people of Lindfield. It helps them with their spiritual needs, led by Reverend Steve Nichols.
Gallery
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Walter Lucas Plaque in All Saints Church, Lindfield
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in West Sussex
- List of places of worship in Mid Sussex
