Church of All Saints, Leighton Buzzard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints Church
Church of All Saints, Leighton Buzzard
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
History
Status	Church
Founded	1277
Dedication	All Saints
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Administration
Parish	Ouzel Valley
Deanery	Dunstable
Archdeaconry	Bedford
Diocese	St Albans
Province	Canterbury

All Saints Church in Leighton Buzzard is a beautiful old church in Bedfordshire, England. It's known for its amazing Early English style, which means it was built a very long time ago! It's a parish church, which means it serves the local community.

History of All Saints Church

This church is dedicated to "All Saints." It has a really tall spire, about 190 feet high! Inside, you can see incredible old ironwork, carvings, and even some medieval graffiti. The roofs are special because they are decorated with carved angels. These angels were given to the church in the mid-1400s by Alice de la Pole. She was the Countess of Suffolk and the granddaughter of the famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer.

Some people have called All Saints Church the "cathedral of South Bedfordshire." This shows how important and grand it is. It was built in 1277, making it very old. Because it's so ancient, it needs constant care and repairs to keep it standing strong.

The Great Fire of 1985

In 1985, something terrible happened: the church was badly damaged by a fire. This fire broke out just as a big repair project was almost finished. The fire destroyed the roof over the chancel (the area near the altar). It also seriously damaged the main roof and caused a lot of harm to the tower, spire, and other parts of the church. Many windows were broken beyond repair. Even the set of ten bells and both organs were lost.

The total cost of the damage was huge, over £1.5 million (which was about $2.4 million back then). But the church community didn't give up! Within just 24 hours of the fire, they started a new fundraising effort to rebuild everything.

Rebuilding and Restoration

The church's beautiful 15th-century roofs, which are a real highlight, were carefully repaired. The amazing carvings of angels and saints on them were either fixed or replaced. The tall spire was strengthened and given new stone. The tower, which holds up the spire, was made stable with a huge internal ring beam.

More problems were found in 1998 in the tower that supports the spire. After a detailed check of the whole building, even more issues were discovered. An architect named Michael Dales created a seven-step plan for repairs. Over the next sixteen years, the tower was secured with 262 steel anchors. Gaps in the walls were filled, and damaged stone was replaced. Old cement was changed to a special lime mortar.

Many other hidden problems were also found and fixed throughout the church. These issues were caused by old building materials, weather, the church's age, and the long-term effects of the fire. Twenty-three special windows in the main part of the church were taken out and repaired. Other windows were fixed where they were. One roof was completely redone, and others were mended. A new stone carving was added to the outside of the St Hugh chapel. This carving honors Terry Warburton, who helped raise money and led the sixteen-year repair project.

This huge restoration project was finished in May 2016. A special service was held to celebrate and give thanks. The total cost of this project was almost £2 million.

Misericords: Hidden Carvings

All Saints Church has 25 special carvings called misericords. These were made in the late 1300s. Misericords are small wooden ledges found on the underside of hinged seats in old churches. When the seats are flipped up, these ledges provide a small support for someone standing during long services. They often have detailed and sometimes funny carvings on them.

The misericords at All Saints Church might have been stored outside for a while before they were installed, as they show signs of weathering. No one knows for sure where they came from. Some people think they might have come from St Albans Cathedral, which was largely taken apart a long time ago. Others suggest they came from places like Fountains Abbey or Chicksands Priory. It's also interesting that the ends of the stalls (the rows of seats) look like they might have been shortened at some point.

The Church Organ

The church's organ was rebuilt after the 1985 fire by a company called Harrison and Harrison from Durham. You can find details and pictures of the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register. After all the big restoration work on the church building was finished, the organ itself had a full check-up and overhaul in 2018.