All Saints Church, Loughton facts for kids
All Saints' Church is a unique church in Loughton, Milton Keynes, England. It's an ecumenical church, which means it welcomes people from different Christian traditions to worship together.
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Discovering All Saints' Church History
The story of a church in Great Loughton goes all the way back to 1219! The building you see today was mostly built in the early 1200s. Back then, there were actually two separate churches for two different areas: Little Loughton and Greater Loughton.
How the Church Changed Over Time
The main parts of the church, like the chancel (the area around the altar) and the nave (where the congregation sits), were likely built in the early 1200s. However, many of the original details have been changed over the years.
Around 1250, some new features were added, like the east window and a blocked-up doorway on the north side. Later, in the late 1400s, more big changes happened. A chapel and an aisle (a side section) were added on the south side. The porch and the tower were also built around this time, and the nave got a new roof.
The church building has been repaired and updated several times since then. It was restored around 1700 and again in 1851. In 1886, the seating inside was replaced.
Exploring the Church's Architecture
The chancel only has light from its east window, which dates back to the 1200s. On the south side, there's an arch that connects to the chapel. This chapel was built right next to the chancel wall.
In the nave, there's a window from the late 1400s on the north-east side. There's also a blocked doorway and another tall window. On the south side, there's a similar tall window and a doorway from around 1400. An arcade (a row of arches) from the late 1400s connects the nave to the south aisle. The tower arch on the west side is very thick and has four decorated layers. The chancel has a curved, plastered ceiling, while the nave has an open-timber roof from the late 1400s.
The south chapel and aisle are one long building. They get light from three windows on the south side and one on the east, all from the late 1400s. These windows have four lights (sections) with fancy designs. The roof of the chapel and aisle is also from the late 1400s and has carved decorations, including one with the Boteler family's coat of arms. The porch, which is a bit older than the aisle, used to have a pointed roof over its entrance. The walls of the chapel, aisle, and porch have a continuous decorated top edge.
The Church Tower
The tower has three levels and is topped with a decorated parapet. Even though its walls are very thick (about 5 feet 5 inches!) and supported by strong buttresses, it seems the tower started to show signs of weakness soon after it was built. A very strong buttress was added to the middle of the west wall. This buttress goes right through the wall and supports the top of the west window, partly blocking it and completely blocking the doorway below. The doorway and window were designed to look like one piece. Two of the window's original lights (sections) are still visible, one on each side of the buttress. The second level of the tower has a small window, and the bell-chamber on the top level has a restored window on each side.
Inside the Church: Special Features
The plain, eight-sided font (a basin for baptisms) is probably from around 1700. On the chancel floor, there's a brass plaque showing a priest named Hugh Parke, who died in 1514. On the north wall of the chancel, you can find monuments to Mary Crane (died 1624) and Felice Crane (died 1622). On the south wall, there's a monument to Robert Crane (died 1672) and his father, John Crane (died 1660).
In the tower, there's a large, iron-bound poor-box from the late 1500s, with two holes for money. In the south chapel, there are two strangely carved wooden panels. Some pieces of old stained glass are displayed on the north wall of the nave. At the east end of the chancel, there's a painting by Gonzales showing Jesus and two disciples at supper. This painting was given to the church in 1833.
The Church Bells
The tower holds a set of six bells. The first two bells are modern. The third bell was made by Robert Atton in 1631. The fourth and fifth bells were made by Henry Jordan around 1460. The fourth bell says, "Here the New Bell Margaret is Named," and the fifth says, "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord." The largest bell was made by Bartholomew Atton in 1590.
Interesting Facts About All Saints'
In 1408, the two separate areas of Little Loughton and Great Loughton joined together to form the single parish we know today.
All Saints' Church Today
The church has recently updated its flooring and seating. This means the main part of the church can now be used for many different activities. Besides the church building itself, there's also an attached church room. This room is used by the children's Sunday club during services and for serving refreshments afterward. Both the church and the church room can be rented by local groups and businesses.
For the latest information about All Saints' and the Watling Valley churches, you can visit their website.
What Happens at the Church?
- Services: There are services at 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM on most Sundays, plus extra services for important Christian holidays.
- Bell-ringing practice: Bell ringers practice on Monday evenings.
- Fetes & Fairs: The church holds fun events throughout the year to raise money and bring people together.
- Other events: You can also enjoy musical and choral evenings at the church during the year.
All Saints' Church is now part of the Watling Valley Ecumenical Partnership, working together with other churches in the area.
Images for kids
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All Saints' Church remains at the centre of a village environment in the Milton Keynes grid square of Loughton.
