All Saints Church, Little Somborne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church, Little Somborne |
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All Saints' Church, Little Somborne, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SU 383 326 |
| Location | Little Somborne, Hampshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 29 May 1957 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Anglo-Saxon, Norman |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Rendered flint rubble with stone dressings Tiled roof |
All Saints' Church is a very old church in a small village called Little Somborne, in Hampshire, England. It's not used for regular church services anymore, but it's a special building that is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This means it's kept safe for everyone to visit and learn about its history. It's considered a "Grade II* listed building," which means it's a very important historic place. You can find it about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Stockbridge.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
This church is super old! Some parts of it were built way back in the Anglo-Saxon times, which was over 1,000 years ago, before the Normans came to England. The church is even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey of England from 1086.
Originally, the church had a main hall called a nave and a special area for the altar called a chancel. But around 1170, the chancel was removed. The nave was made longer towards the east, and a smaller chancel was added at the very end. Later, in the 1600s, the chancel was removed again. The archway that led to it was filled in with a wall, and a window was put there instead.
Exploring the Church's Design
The church is built from flint stones and other small rocks, with special stone pieces for decoration. The walls are covered with a smooth plaster called stucco and painted. The roof is made of tiles. The church has a simple shape, with the nave and chancel joined together in one long room. At the west end, there's a small tower for the bell, covered with wooden boards called weatherboarding.
At the east end, where the chancel used to be, there's a window with three sections. Above this, you can see two tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. On the north wall of the chancel, there's a single window from the 1100s. Next to it, there's a doorway from the same time that is now blocked up. You can also spot an Anglo-Saxon stone strip on the north wall, which came from the Isle of Wight.
On the south wall of the chancel, there's another lancet window from the 1200s. Further west, there are two single windows with square tops. Between these windows, you'll find a round-topped doorway from the Norman period (around the 11th to 12th centuries). The window at the west end of the church is from the 1300s. It has two sections with special leaf-shaped designs called trefoils, and above it, there's a window shaped like a four-leaf clover called a quatrefoil.
Inside the church, the plaster has been taken off the walls, so you can see the old stones. Part of the floor has been replaced with flat stones. Near where the chancel arch used to be, there's a small, round-topped niche (a small alcove in the wall). The font, which is a basin used for baptisms, was added in the 1800s.
The Churchyard and Famous Graves
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, you can find the grave of Thomas Sopwith (1888–1989). He was a very important person in history! He was a pioneer aviator (one of the first people to fly planes), an aircraft manufacturer (he built planes), and a famous yachtsman (someone who sails boats).
See also
