All Saints' Church, Weston, Somerset

Last updated

All Saints
Allsaintsweston.jpg
All Saints' Church, Weston, Somerset
General information
Architectural style Victorian
Town or city Weston, Bath
CountryEngland
Construction started15th century
Completed1832
Design and construction
Architect(s) John Pinch the Elder

All Saints' Church is a Church of England parish church which stands on a hill at the centre of Weston, a small village on the outskirts of Bath, England. The current Gothic church was designed by architect John Pinch the Elder and completed in 1832, although it retains the 15th-century tower of its predecessor, All Hallows Church. [1]

Contents

Churchyard

There are over 90 tablets in the churchyard and more within the church, with some going back to the 12th century. The church kept excellent records which indicated that most of those buried here had no connection with the town but chose the spot for their final repose because it was an idyllically isolated community, away from the smog and congestion of Bath. This popularity lasted for over 200 years. [2]

Medieval church

An early church is mentioned by Pope Adrian IV in an 1156 Bull. Jordanus, the first vicar, arrived at Weston in 1297. [2] In the 15th century, All Hallows Church was built but was demolished in 1830 to create a larger space for a growing community, with only its tower surviving. [3]

The church bells were recast by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family at Chew Stoke in 1739, and were repaired and retuned between 1952 and 1953. Today the tower has six bells from 1739 and two from 1952. [4]

Victorian church

The tower of the church All Saints' Church, Weston, Bath, tower and path.jpg
The tower of the church

The new church of All Saints was consecrated on 2 June 1832. It shares some similarities with Pinch's other works at St. Mary the Virgin, Bathwick and St. Saviour, Larkhall, although both of those examples were new-builds and are defined by tall western towers, whereas All Saints is more diminished. New seating with new transepts and a chancel were added between 1880 and 1893, and new clergy and choir vestries were added in 1909. [3] The church furnishings and internal program have been remodelled several times since then and recently a restoration was undertaken of the tower. Near the tower door is a 19th-century font, and on the West Gallery are displayed William and Mary's royal coat of arms. [2]

The church was designated as Grade II listed in 1955. [1]

Notable features

On the south aisle is the St Alphege window, which "commemorates the famous saint whom tradition says was born in Weston (St Alphege became the Abbot of Bath Abbey and then Archbishop of Canterbury). Also depicted is Guthram, King of the Danes, submitting to King Alfred and accepting Christianity." [2] In the south transept, there is a "monument to Alderman Sherston dated 1641; he was Mayor of Bath in 1632. In a niche in the north wall of the chancel is found the oldest monument in the church from the 12-13th century. This is a stone coffin lid that was found under the south porch during the rebuilding of the church in 1830." [2] Other monuments include one of 1699 honoring John Harrington of Kelston, and a monument to "Dr William Oliver (of biscuit fame) whose family owned Weston Manor for many years." [2]

Pevsner description of the church

The church and surrounding housing, from Penn Hill All Saints' Church, Weston, from Penn Hill.jpg
The church and surrounding housing, from Penn Hill

"Other than the simple C15 Perp[endicular] w[est] tower, the church was rebuilt in 1830-2 by John Pinch the Younger. E Harbottle of Exeter added the chancel and transepts in 1893, and Mowbray A. Green a memorial chapel in 1921. Nave and aisles. Tall lancet-like three-light windows with four-centred arches and Perp tracery. Battlements and pinnacles. Arcade of tall piers of Perp section carrying four-centred arches. The nave is broad and low with a rear gallery ..." [Forsyth, 295] "Plate: Chalice and Cover 1572; Apostle Spoon 1614; Chalice and Paten 1692; Flagon 1739." [Pevsner, 334]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Chester and the seat of the Bishop of Chester

Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Werburgh, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since 1541, it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bathwick</span> Church in United Kingdom

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is located on Darlington Street in the Bathwick area of Bath, Somerset, England. The church is Anglican and located near Pinch's Sydney Place (1808) and Bath's famed Sydney Pleasure Gardens. The church was constructed by the Pulteney family, who used it to replace the medieval parish church of St Mary's, Bathwick, known even in Georgian times as Bathwick Old Church. The churchyard is now part of Smallcombe Cemetery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary and All Saints Church is in the centre of the village of Great Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Great Budworth. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches. Richards describes it as "one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture remaining in Cheshire". The authors of the Buildings of England series express the opinion that it is "one of the most satisfactory Perpendicular churches of Cheshire and its setting brings its qualities out to perfection".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotherham Minster</span> Church in South Yorkshire, England

The Minster Church of All Saints or Rotherham Minster is the Anglican minster church of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The Minster is a prominent example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture and various architectural historians have rated it highly. Nikolaus Pevsner describes it as "one of the largest and stateliest churches in Yorkshire", Simon Jenkins states it is "the best work in the county", and Alec Clifton-Taylor calls it the "glory of Rotherham". With its tall spire, it is Rotherham's most predominant landmark, and amongst the tallest churches in Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Alphege Church, Solihull</span> Church

St Alphege Church, Solihull, is a medieval parish church in the Church of England in Solihull, West Midlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Mary the Virgin, Barrington</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Barrington, Somerset, England dates from the 13th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Peter and St Paul, South Petherton</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is the Church of England parish church for the village of South Petherton, Somerset, England. The present church is a large and imposing cruciform-shaped structure constructed on the site of an earlier Saxon Minster, with the majority of the building dating from the 13th to 15th centuries; consequently, the building is Grade I listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Church, Chew Magna</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Church of St Andrew in Chew Magna, Somerset, England dates from the 12th century with a large 15th-century pinnacled sandstone tower, a Norman font and a rood screen that is the full width of the church. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James' Church, Longborough</span> Church in Gloucestershire, England

St James' Church is the Church of England parish church of Longborough, Gloucestershire, England. It is in the deanery of Stow, the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the diocese of Gloucester. Its benefice is combined with those of St David, Moreton-in-Marsh, St Mary, Batsford, St Thomas of Canterbury, Todenham, and St Leonard, Lower Lemington. It contains fabric from the 12th century and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Silas' Church, Blackburn</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St Silas' Church is in Preston New Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Blackburn with Darwen, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Candida and Holy Cross</span> Church in Dorset, England

The Church of St Candida and Holy Cross is an Anglican church in Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset, England. A Saxon church stood on the site but nothing remains of that structure. The earliest parts of the church date from the 12th century when it was rebuilt by Benedictine monks. Further major rebuilding work took place in the 13th century and in the 14th century the church's prominent tower was constructed. The church features some Norman architectural features but is predominantly Early English and Perpendicular. George Somers, founder of the colony of Bermuda, is buried under the vestry and the assassinated Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov is interred in the churchyard. It is an active Church of England parish church in the deanery of Lyme Bay, the archdeaconry of Sherborne, and the diocese of Salisbury. It is one of only two parish churches in the country to have a shrine that contains the relics of their patron saint. The relics belong to St Candida to whom the church is dedicated. The church been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Laurence's Church, Morland</span> Church in Cumbria, England

St Laurence's Church is in the village of Morland, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Appleby, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of St Mary, Thrimby, St Barnabas, Great Strickland, and St Cuthbert, Cliburn. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It has the only Anglo-Saxon tower in Cumbria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Acton Burnell</span> Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England, and stands near the ruins of Acton Burnell Castle. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Condover, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of St Andrew and St Mary, Condover, St Mark, Frodesley, and St Michael and All Angels, Pitchford. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin's Church, Ancaster</span> Church in United Kingdom

St Martin's Church is a Grade I listed Anglican church, dedicated to Martin of Tours, in Ancaster, Lincolnshire, England. The church is 6 miles (10 km) north-east from Grantham, below the southern edge of the Lincoln Cliff, and at the side of High Dyke, part of the old Ermine Street Roman road. St Martin's is in the ecclesiastical parish of Ancaster and Wilsford, in the Deanery of Loveden, and the Diocese of Lincoln.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St James, Southstoke</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Church of St James is an Anglican parish church in Southstoke, Somerset, England. It was built in the 12th century and has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Holy Trinity, Newton St Loe</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity in Newton St Loe within the English county of Somerset is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Nicholas and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Stowey</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Anglican Parish Church of St Nicholas and the Blessed Virgin Mary at Stowey within the English county of Somerset dates from the 13th century. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Bampton</span> Church in Oxfordshire, England

The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin is the Church of England parish church of Bampton, West Oxfordshire. It is in the Archdeaconry of Dorchester in the Diocese of Oxford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of All Saints, Merriott</span> Church in Somerset, England

The Anglican Church of All Saints in Merriott, Somerset, England was built in the 13th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints Church, Winterton</span> Church in Lincolnshire, England

All Saints Church is an Anglican church in the town of Winterton, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The church stands close to the center of the town within a Conservation Area, 6 miles (10 km) north of Scunthorpe, to the west of the A15 road. The church is a constituent of the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register and has a priority category of C, signifying slow decay.

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of All Saints (1394036)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A History of All Saints Church, Weston". allsaintsonline.org.uk. 2008. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008.
  3. 1 2 "History of All Saints Weston". allsaintsonline.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Bath, Weston". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 30 April 2017.

Further reading

Coordinates: 51°23′44″N2°23′18″W / 51.39556°N 2.38833°W / 51.39556; -2.38833

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.