All Saints Church, Theddlethorpe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church, Theddlethorpe |
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All Saints Church, Theddlethorpe, from the south
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| OS grid reference | TF 464 882 |
| Location | Theddlethorpe All Saints, Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 9 March 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Greenstone and limestone with brick patching |
All Saints Church is an old Anglican church in a village called Theddlethorpe All Saints in Lincolnshire, England. It's no longer used for regular church services, which is why it's called a "redundant" church. This special building is protected as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it.
The church is located east of the A1031 road. It's about 3 kilometres (2 miles) northeast of Mablethorpe. People sometimes call it the "Cathedral of the Marsh" because it's such an impressive building in the area.
Contents
History of All Saints Church
This church has a long history, dating all the way back to the 12th century. Imagine how many generations have walked through its doors! Over the years, some parts of the church were changed and added.
- Around 1380–1400, new sections were built.
- More changes happened in the late 1600s.
- Small repairs were done in 1865 and 1866.
In July 1973, the church was officially declared "redundant." This means it was no longer needed for regular church services. Now, the Churches Conservation Trust helps to preserve it for everyone to enjoy.
Architecture of the Church
All Saints Church is built from a mix of greenstone and limestone rocks. Some parts have even been repaired with bricks over time. The roofs are made of lead.
The church has several main parts:
- A nave (the main part where people sit).
- A clerestory (an upper level with windows above the nave).
- North and south aisles (passageways on the sides).
- A south porch (the entrance).
- A chancel (the area near the altar).
- A tall tower at the west end.
Outside the Church
The tower has four levels, with stone bands called string courses separating them. It has strong corner buttresses to support it. At the very top, there's a battlemented parapet (a wall with gaps like a castle). You can also spot gargoyles at the corners, which are stone carvings that often look like monsters. On top of the tower is a central, pointed decoration called a pinnacle.
On the west side of the tower, there's a doorway and a large window above it. The top level of the tower has openings with wooden slats, called louvres, for the bells.
The north aisle also has a battlemented parapet with gargoyles. The upper part of the nave (the clerestory) is also battlemented and has more gargoyles and pinnacles. It has five windows, each with two sections. The north aisle itself has several windows and a doorway.
The east window of the church has three sections. The south wall of the chancel has two windows and a special door for the priest. The south porch has a pointed roof and benches inside. The main door into the church has a curved top.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has two rows of arches, called arcades, with five sections each. These arches are supported by eight-sided stone pillars. Look closely at the north wall, and you might see old 12th-century stone pieces with zigzag patterns.
The roof of the nave is decorated with carved flowers called fleurons. You can also see the coats of arms of people who helped donate money to the church long ago. In the south aisle, there's a medieval altar slab (a flat stone used for the altar) with crosses carved into it. Above it is a stone screen, called a reredos, decorated with more patterns and human faces.
On the north walls of both aisles, you can find small pieces of old painted texts. The north aisle also has another medieval altar slab and a special bracket where a statue might have stood. There's also a doorway that once led to the rood loft, a high platform that used to be in churches.
In the chancel, the south wall has a triple sedilia (seats for priests) and a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels). The east wall has brackets for statues, carved with human faces. Some windows in the south aisle still have small pieces of 15th-century stained glass.
The altar rails are from the 1700s, and the marble altar was given to the church in 1717. The screen separating the chancel from the nave is from the 15th century. The pulpit (where sermons are given) and lectern (where readings are done) are from the 1800s. There's another older pulpit at the back of the church, made of carved oak in the 1600s.
The church also has 16th-century pews (church benches) with special carvings called poppyheads on the ends. The font, used for baptisms, is from the 15th century. It's octagonal (eight-sided) and decorated with patterns and human heads. It has a wooden cover from the 1700s. You can also find old memorials inside, including a brass from 1424 and marble monuments from the 1700s.
See Also
