Church of All Saints, Houghton Conquest facts for kids
The Church of All Saints is a very old and important church located in Houghton Conquest, a village in Bedfordshire, England. It's known as a Grade I listed building, which means it's a special historical building that needs to be protected. The church was built a long time ago, in the 1300s. It's dedicated to "All Saints," which refers to all the saints in Christianity. For many years, the church was connected with St John's College, Cambridge. In 2018, the church's lead roof was unfortunately stolen.
Contents
Church Design and Features
The Church of All Saints is a large building. It was built using two old English architectural styles: the Early English Period and the Decorated style.
Parts of the Church
The church has several main parts:
- The chancel is the area near the altar, often at the east end.
- The nave is the main part of the church where people sit.
- The aisles are the side sections, usually on either side of the nave.
- There is a south porch at one of the entrances.
- A tall embattled tower holds six bells. The word "embattled" means the top of the tower looks like the battlements on a castle.
Inside the Church
The church was repaired in 1845. Inside, you can see some interesting features:
- The east window has beautiful stained glass. It was put in place in 1880 by John William Burgon to remember three people who helped the church.
- Some of the walls have faint traces of old paintings called frescoes. These paintings were made directly onto the plaster.
- Above the north doorway, there is a very large painting of Saint Christopher from the 1400s.
- On the north walls of the chancel, there is a special monument made of carved alabaster.
- The church also has an altar slab from 1644.
- You can also find a few damaged brasses. These are engraved metal plates, often found on old tombs.
- The church's official record book, called the register, dates back to the year 1595.
Church Leaders (Rectors)
A rector is a type of priest who is in charge of a church parish. Many rectors have served the Church of All Saints over the centuries. Here are a few examples of people who were rectors:
- William de Lubenham (before 1285)
- Geoffrey Conquest (1285)
- John Mason, who was also the Vicar of Ampthill (1409)
- Thomas Archer (1589-1631), who was also a local historian.
- Edward Martin (1632), who later became the dean of Ely.
- Zachary Grey (from 1725), who was also a vicar in Cambridge.
- Henry John Rose (1837-1873), a theologian and historian.
Other people named as rectors include Edward Woodley Bowling, Rev. Birch, and Herbert W. Macklin.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Bedfordshire
