All Saints Church, West Stourmouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints Church, West Stourmouth |
|
|---|---|
All Saints Church, West Stourmouth, from the southeast
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | TR 256 628 |
| Location | Stourmouth, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 11 October 1963 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Closed | 1979 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Materials | Flint with stone dressings, Tiled roofs |
All Saints Church, West Stourmouth, is a very old Anglican church in a place called Stourmouth, Kent, England. It's no longer used for regular church services, which means it's a "redundant" church. But it's still very important! It's looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust, a group that helps save historic churches. This church is so special that it's listed as a Grade I building. This is the highest protection for historic places in England. You can find it in a small area called West Stourmouth, about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Wingham.
Contents
History of All Saints Church
The oldest parts of All Saints Church were built a very long time ago, during the Anglo-Saxon period. This was before the Norman Conquest in 1066! Later, in the late 1100s, some changes were made to the church.
Something big happened in 1382: an earthquake damaged the church. After the earthquake, the church had to be rebuilt. Over the next two centuries, in the 1300s and 1400s, new windows were put in.
In 1845, the church was "restored." This means it was repaired and updated, and the seating inside was changed. All Saints Church has not been used for regular services since 1979.
What the Church Looks Like
All Saints Church is built with flint stones and has tiled roofs. It has a main area called a nave, with smaller sections on the sides called aisles. There's also a chancel (the part where the altar usually is), a porch on the south side, and a tower at the west end.
Outside the Church
The church tower is covered with weatherboarding (wooden planks) and has a shingled spire (a pointy roof). Two large brick buttresses (supports) from the 1600s help hold up the tower. Between these supports is a porch, and above it is a window from the 1400s with two sections.
The south aisle has a brick parapet (a low wall). It also has three windows from the 1300s, each with two sections and a special "ogee" shape at the top. The south porch has a gable (a triangular part of the wall) and corner buttresses.
The east wall of the chancel was rebuilt in the 1800s. It has a window in the "Decorated Gothic" style, which means it has fancy stone patterns. There are also two tall, narrow windows called lancet windows on the south side, and one similar window on the north side. Only the bottom half of the north aisle is left, and it has two dormers (windows sticking out of the roof) with hipped roofs.
Inside the Church
Inside the chancel, you can see dado panelling (wooden panels on the lower part of the walls). There's also a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) and choir stalls, all from the 1600s. The bottom part of a rood screen (a screen that used to separate the nave from the chancel) with four panels is still there.
Also from the 1600s are an eight-sided pulpit (where sermons are given) and box pews (enclosed seats). In the chancel, there's a monumental brass from 1472. You can also see small pieces of stained glass from the 1400s in the south window of the chancel. The royal arms of King George III are also displayed in the church.
See also
