Church of All Saints, Campton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of All Saints, Campton |
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Campton All Saints Church
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| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Campton |
| Deanery | Ampthill & Shefford |
| Archdeaconry | Bedford |
| Diocese | St Albans |
The Church of All Saints is a special church in the village of Campton, Bedfordshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is the main parish church for Campton and Chicksands villages. It also covers a nearby military base. The military base has its own church, but it is not part of the Church of England parish.
The church building is very important. Since 1966, it has been a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a particularly important building. It is of more than special interest.
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History of All Saints Church
The Church of All Saints is very old. It was first built in the 13th century. That's over 800 years ago! It was made from red sandstone blocks. Over the centuries, new parts were added. The church was also rebuilt many times.
In 1649, the Osborn Mausoleum and Osborn Chapel were added. These parts form the northern side of the church. You can see symbols and mottos of the Osborn family inside. Their Latin motto, 'Quantum in Rebus Inane,' means 'What vanity in human affairs.'
The church tower is about 13 meters (43 feet) tall. It is 3 meters (10 feet) wide. The tower was added in the 15th century. It replaced part of the south aisle. In the late 1800s, the church was updated. The tower was rebuilt with nicely cut sandstone blocks. An organ was also put in at this time. People believe it came from Chicksands Priory.
The famous poet Robert Bloomfield (1766-1823) is buried in the churchyard. He wrote poems about country life. He lived and died in Shefford. But he was buried in Campton. This is because the church in Shefford was a Chapel of Ease. This means it was a smaller church linked to All Saints. It did not have its own burial ground. Shefford church became its own parish in 1903.
The church's first record book started in 1568. It has records for Campton-Cum-Shefford. This was the name of the parish back then. Shefford got its own record book in 1812. The churchyard also has one grave from the First World War. This is a Commonwealth War Grave.
Rectors and Vicars of the Parish
Church records show that a rector has been in charge since at least 1215. A rector is a priest who leads a parish. The parish boundaries have changed over time. Sometimes, a rector led more than one parish. This is called holding parishes in plurality.
This happened twice for All Saints. From 1955 to 1976, the rector also led Shefford. From 1976 to 1982, the rector also led Meppershall and Stondon.
The names below are from a list kept by Central Bedfordshire Council. There is also a list inside the church. Sometimes, the spellings or dates are a little different. The current rector is Reverend Dean Henley. He started in 2006.
| Year | Name | Year | Name | Year | Name | Year | Name | |||
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| 1215 | William | 1402 | Henry Everedon | 1552 | Edward Robinson | 1911 | Arthur E Lloyd | |||
| 1244 | Richard de Camelton | 1405 | Robert Merston | 1566 | Robert Fitzhenry | 1916 | Francis Fairchild Greig | |||
| 1273 | Simon de Hemmesby | 1409 | William Tappe | 1586 | Hugh Stanbridge | 1928 | Henry James Tanner | |||
| 1280 | Simon de Fegg | 1416 | John Wryght | 1604 | William Gouldsmith | 1933 | Arthur Sydney P McGhee | |||
| 1292 | John de Hecham | 1416 | John Ram | 1644 | Daniel Gouldsmith | 1955 | David John Lawrence | |||
| 1298 | Peter de Conesgrave | 1417 | Thomas Thorne | 1686 | William Hill | 1966 | Harold Percy Hansen | |||
| 1327 | Alan de Gonshill | 1431 | John Bevyll | 1703 | Antelminelli Kelynge | 1971 | George Thomas Botting | |||
| 1344 | John De Ganeworth | 1440 | William Maxey | 1709 | Richard Finch | 1976 | Roy Frederick Day | |||
| 1346 | Thomas Atterbrigg | 1441 | Elias Holcott | 1711 | John Keye | 1982 | Gordon Hamilton Waller | |||
| 1349 | Ralph Snow | 1441 | William Northwold | 1716 | Matthew Hanscombe | 1987 | William David B Williams | |||
| 1350 | Giles atte Well | 1462 | William Halle | 1727 | Thomas Osborn | 1991 | John Henry Barrall | |||
| 1367 | John De Monte Acuto | 1464 | Thomas Large | 1748 | Jacob Janeway | 1999 | David W Renshaw | |||
| 1383 | Thomas Crouch | 1466 | William Northwold | 1790 | Edmond Williamson | 2002 | Margaret Joy Venables | |||
| 1392 | Thomas Tydy | 1467 | John Caller | 1839 | Edmond Riland Williamson | 2006 | Dean Henley | |||
| 1398 | William Den | 1505 | Oliver Elke | 1864 | William Best | |||||
| 1400 | John Chokwold | 1539 | Robert Catton | 1870 | George Montague Osborn |
The Bells and the Bell-Ringers
The church tower has 11 bells. Two of these bells were made in 1520. They were cast by William Culverden. In 2006, eight new bells were made. They were cast by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough.
These new bells were hung next to the three older ones. They were officially dedicated on July 1, 2007. The Bishop of Bedford blessed them in a special ceremony.
The Campton Bell-Ringers ring the bells for Sunday morning services. The bells are also used in bell ringing competitions.
Inside the Church
The church has many interesting parts. There are two piscinas, which are small basins for washing communion vessels. One is near the altar, and one is in the south chapel. You can also see special alcoves for statues. There are plaques and markers remembering people who have died.
Seven plaques and windows are dedicated to members of the Osborn family. They lived at Chicksands Priory. The oldest plaque is from 1489. It remembers Richard Carlyll and his wife Joan. They both died on February 14, 1489. It is not known why they died on the same day.
Some stained glass windows remember people who have passed away. The east window shows 16 saints and the Lamb of God. It has a Banner of Victory at the top. The window on the south wall of the chancel shows three Christian virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity. These windows were made in 1912. They were designed by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The glass was made by Chance Brothers of Oldbury.
The west end of the church has a large gallery. Peter Farmer designed and built it in 2002. Below the gallery is the Fred Oakley Room. Fred Oakley was a Campton resident who helped the church a lot. He died in 2000.
Two war memorials are on either side of the Oakley Room entrance. They remember the men from Campton who died in World War I and World War II. These memorials used to be by the North door. The wooden screens on the east and north sides of the ringing chamber are from the 15th century. They used to be part of the chancel screen.
The north wall was built in 1649. Some old stone pieces from Chicksands Priory were used in this wall. They were also used in other parts of the church. Monuments in the wall remember Sir Danvers Osborn and Reverend Arthur McGee. He was the last rector who lived in the village.
The fancy baptismal font was put in around 1893. It remembers Hon. Charlotte Osborn. The Gothic-style lectern is from the late 1800s. The pulpit is made from parts of a 14th-century screen. It includes a carved panel.
A glass screen separates the chancel from the Osborn Chapel. It has two levels and is dated 1649. The communion rail is from the 1700s. The church used to have a screen across the front of the Chancel. This screen was from 1670. But it was destroyed in a fire in May 1960. A sulphur candle, used to remove bees, was left burning.
The altar is framed by an arch. It has carved heads on it. The heads on the left side wear a soft cap from around 1500. The heads on the right side are bareheaded. The organ might have come from Chicksands Priory. It was put in its special room in 1894.
The Osborn Chapel has monuments to the Osborn Family. Two large white marble altars are on the north side. They have carved family crests and decorations. These memorials were made by John Stone. They are great examples of 17th-century church sculptures. They remember people like Sir Peter Osborn. He was the Governor of Guernsey. He was there when the castle was attacked. Another person remembered is John Osborn. He was a diplomat. He died in Germany in 1814. He was about to return home after being held captive by Napoleon Bonaparte for eight years.
The church has many old carvings on its walls. These are early examples of graffiti. When the church was restored in 1895, they used as much of the original stone as possible. Sometimes, the stones were not put back in their exact original spots. Because of this, you can find old carvings in unexpected places. There are good examples in the ringing chamber, the Oakley Room, and the gallery.
A stone memorial for the poet Robert Bloomfield was put in in 2003. He is buried in the churchyard.
Gallery
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The church organ
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The side chapel
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The memorial plaque to poet Robert Bloomfield
