All Saints Church, Oxted facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church |
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West side of the church
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51°15′39″N 0°00′16″W / 51.260735°N 0.004385°W | |
OS grid reference | TQ3934753192 |
Location | Oxted, Surrey |
Country | United Kingdom |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Website | OxtedandWarlinghamParish.org |
History | |
Status | Active |
Founder(s) | Fr Algernon Lang |
Dedication | All Saints |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Parish church |
Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
Designated | 23 November 1998 |
Architect(s) | James Leonard Williams |
Groundbreaking | 3 August 1914 |
Completed | 1928 |
Administration | |
Parish | Oxted and Warlingham |
Deanery | Redhill |
Diocese | Arundel and Brighton |
Province | Southwark |
All Saints Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Oxted, Surrey, in the United Kingdom. It serves as a local parish church for the community. The building is considered very important, which is why it has a special status called "Grade II listed." This means it's a protected historic building.
Construction of the church began in 1913. However, work was paused because of World War I. After the war, building continued, and the church was completed in 1928. Parts of the church's inside were designed by a well-known artist named Geoffrey Webb.
Contents
History of All Saints Church
How the Church Was Built
In 1914, a priest named Father Algernon Lang arrived in Oxted. He wanted to find a good place to build a church for the local Catholic community. He bought a house at 12 Chichele Road and decided to build the church right behind it. The house itself was built in 1913 using materials from an older house that had been taken down in Godstone.
The very first stone of the church was laid on August 3, 1914. This was just one day before World War I officially started! Building continued for a few months until December 1914. By then, some important parts were finished. These included the sacristy (a room where priests prepare), the crypt (an underground room), and the chancel (the area around the altar).
Work on the church started again after the war ended. The outside walls were finished by December 7, 1920. The main worship area, called the nave, and the sanctuary (the area near the altar) were designed by an architect named James Leonard Williams. He also designed another church, St George's Church in Sudbury. Sadly, he passed away in 1926, before either of his churches were fully completed.
Inside the Church
Building the inside of All Saints Church continued until July 6, 1927. On this day, the church was officially "consecrated," meaning it was dedicated for holy use.
James Leonard Williams, the architect, also designed the rood screen. This is a decorative screen that separates the chancel from the nave. The ceiling, the organ gallery (where the organ is located), and the reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) were all designed by Geoffrey Webb. The reredos is a painted copy of a famous artwork called Coronation of the Virgin by an artist named Fra Angelico. Geoffrey Webb designed it, and it was built by Robert Bridgeman of Lichfield.
Church Extension
In 2001, the west side of All Saints Church was made larger with an extension. The architect for this project was Deirdre Waddington. She also worked on the renovation of the Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony in Crawley between 2008 and 2009.
The Parish Community
A "parish" is a local area served by a church. Since 2006, All Saints Church has been part of the same parish as St Ambrose Church in Warlingham.
St Ambrose Church was built between July 1957 and 1958. Before that, church services (called Mass) were held in a specially extended building in a house's garden.
All Saints Church holds two Sunday Masses: one on Saturday evening at 5:30 pm and another on Sunday morning at 11:00 am. St Ambrose Church has a Sunday Mass at 9:00 am on Sunday morning. There are also weekday Masses: at 10:00 am on Wednesday at All Saints Church, and at 10:00 am on Thursday and Saturday at St Ambrose Church.
Gallery
See also
- List of places of worship in Tandridge (district)