All Saints Church, Leamington Spa Explained

All Saints' Parish Church, Leamington Spa
Dedication:All Saints
Denomination:Church of England
Churchmanship:Liberal Anglo-Catholicism
Parish:Leamington Priors
Province:Canterbury
Vicar:Fr Christopher Wilson Mus B (Hons) MTh (Oxon)
Assistant:Revd Anne Morris
Director:Alex Silverman
Organist:Christopher Beaumont MA FTCL

All Saints' Church is the parish church of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is a grade II* listed building. The church is inclusive and supports women's ordained ministry and equality for LGBTQIA+ people within the church.

Background

Built in the Gothic Revival style in the 19th century, it has been described as "one of the largest Church of England parish churches, rivaling many cathedrals in size."[1] It is located in the centre of the town, just south of the River Leam in what was the old core of the town.

History

The Domesday Book of 1086 reports that there was a priest present in "Lamintone", (an old name for Leamington) although there is no specific mention of a church. The earliest record of one was from the 12th century when Leamington was still a tiny hamlet in the parish of Leek Wootton.[2] A west tower was added in the 14th century whilst a south porch was put added in the 18th.[3] The first spring (of many that made Leamington famous) was located just outside the main entrance of the church of land owned by the Earl of Aylesford.

It was however in 1843 that the church began to take its current form and shape.[4] By this time the church was no longer in open fields just to the north of a hamlet, but was in the centre of a bustling spa town. (Two of Leamington's town founders, Benjamin Satchwell and William Abbotts, are buried in the churchyard.)

The main construction took place between 1843 and 1869, overseen and largely funded by vicar John Craig.[5] Designs were drawn up by architect J.G. Jackson of Leamington, but Craig is reported to have been largely his own architect.[6]

In 1867 the south transept was added by the architect TC Barry.

The last major works to take place to the church, after Craig's death, were from 1898 to 1902 by the architect Sir Arthur Blomfield, when two western bays to the nave and a south western bell tower were added.[7] The seating capacity was increased to around 2000. From September 2007 to February 2008 the church precincts were redeveloped and a new sculpture, entitled 'Spring', was installed on the site of the original Leamington spa spring.

The church today

The church remains in active use as a place of worship, with Sunday and other major services accompanied by the surpliced choir.[8] Despite the fragmentation of its parish during the 19th century, All Saints is still known and used as Leamington's Parish Church. The church hosts and promotes organ recitals and concerts,[9] as well as the annual All Saints' Arts Festival.[10] It also runs a group for LGBTQIA+ Christians called LGBTXians.[11] There is a lively Ukrainian cafe inside the church, which opens Tuesday-Saturday.

Vicars of Leamington from 1823

Directors of Music

Organ

The church has a pipe organ by William Hill & Sons dating from 1879. There have been subsequent rebuilds by Hill, Norman and Beard in 1926, and Longstaff & Jones in 1981. The organ is described in the National Pipe Organ Register.[12]

List of organists

References

52.2861°N -1.5322°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Some information on the church from Warwickshire County Council . 2008-03-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110517122845/http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/corporate/tourism.nsf/b991a994b1cf72d480256eda003bba4c/b96239fefb37ba09802571c0003fc633?OpenDocument . 2011-05-17 . dead .
  2. Web site: A Warwickshire churches history page . 2008-03-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080224142312/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bobjay99/wchtxt.htm . 2008-02-24 . dead .
  3. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=57117 History of Leamington on british-history.ac.uk
  4. Web site: Information from Warwick District Council . 2008-03-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051016034715/http://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/67238FE3-9D75-442F-BBD3-C7F9E3074D1D/0/HeritageOpenDaysbooklet2005part1.pdf . 2005-10-16 . dead .
  5. News: Nostalgia: The Leamington priest who built a church. The Courier. 29 April 2015. 16 September 2020.
  6. Web site: Information for record number MWA1388: Church of All Saints, Leamington Spa. Timetrail. Warwickshire County Council. 16 September 2020.
  7. https://archive.today/20120722234640/http://www.acny.org.uk/venue.php?V=13135 Info from A Church Near You website
  8. Web site: All Saints Church Leamington. 23 September 2020. Choir.
  9. Web site: All Saints Church Leamington. 23 September 2020. What's On. https://web.archive.org/web/20181105190825/http://www.allsaintschurchleamington.org.uk/whats-on.html. 5 November 2018.
  10. Web site: All Saints Church Leamington. 23 September 2020. All Saints Arts Festival 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20180716140744/http://www.allsaintschurchleamington.org.uk/all-saints-arts-festival-2013.html. 16 July 2018.
  11. Web site: All Saints Church Leamington. 23 September 2020. LGBTXians.
  12. http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=D03659 National Pipe Organ Register

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