All Saints Church, Sandford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of England |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Active |
| Year consecrated | 1884 |
| Location | |
| Location | Sandford, Somerset, England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Hans Price and William Wooler |
| Architectural type | Church |
All Saints Church is a lovely Church of England church located in Sandford, Somerset, England. It was designed by famous architects Hans Price and William Wooler. The church was built between 1883 and 1884. Since 1983, it has been recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical building. Today, All Saints Church works closely with Sandford Methodist Church in a special partnership.
Contents
History of All Saints Church
All Saints Church was built as a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far from the main parish church, St James in Winscombe.
Why the Church Was Built
The idea for a church in Sandford started when the Dean and Chapter of Wells offered a piece of land. But it wasn't until 1882 that serious fundraising began. The vicar of Winscombe, Rev. R. F. Follett, and others worked hard to gather money.
In February 1882, they sent out a letter explaining why a new church and a resident clergyman were needed in Sandford. At that time, over 400 people lived in the hamlet and nearby areas. Most of them lived two or three miles away from the main parish church, making it hard to attend services.
Raising Money for the Church
A special committee was formed to help with the project. It included the vicar and churchwardens of Winscombe, Rev. Prebendary Stephenson, Mr. Poole, and Mr. Reece. They aimed to raise £1,000.
Many people donated money, including Mr. Sidney Hall, Mrs. A. G. Lethbridge, and Rev. J. A. Yatman. They also received a grant from the Incorporated Church Building Society.
Building the Church
The church plans were drawn up by Messrs Price and Wooler from Weston-super-Mare. These plans were approved in December 1882. In February 1883, Mr. James Wilcox, also from Weston-super-Mare, was hired as the builder.
Construction started soon after. The church was officially blessed and opened on January 10, 1884. The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Rev. Lord Arthur Hervey, led the special ceremony. The church cost about £1,100 to build. By the time it was opened, £850 had already been raised.
Architecture of All Saints Church
All Saints Church is built using local stone. It has special decorative parts made from Bath stone and a roof covered with plain tiles. The church is designed in the Perpendicular style, which is a type of English Gothic architecture.
Inside the Church
The church was designed to hold 100 people. It has a main area called a nave with two sections, a chancel (the area around the altar), a vestry (a room for clergy), and a porch at the west entrance.
On the west side of the building, there's a small tower with a bell, called a bellcote. Many of the original fittings inside, like the pews, are made of shiny pitch pine wood. The doors are made of oak, and the ceiling, which looks like the inside of a wagon, is made of stained red Baltic timber.
The floors are mostly made of wood, except for the aisle and chancel floors, which are covered with tiles. The church's furniture was a gift from Rev. P. Willis. The beautiful carved details were created by Harry Hems from Exeter. The colorful, decorative glass windows were made by Messrs Joseph Bell from Bristol.
