All Saints' Church, Hawton
Encyclopedia
All Saints' Church, Hawton is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Hawton
, Nottinghamshire
.
The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
is described by Nikolaus Pevsner
as one of the most exciting pieces of architecture in the country. .
On the north side of the chancel is a medieval Easter Sepulchre
. Opposite on the south side is the sedilia
. The carvings on these two features are considered amongst the best in England.
The carvings in the chancel are thought to be the work of stonemasons who worked on the choir screen and Chapter House in Southwell Minster
.
, which would have been used to reserve the consecrated bread and wine between Maundy Thursday
and Easter Day, during which period there would have been no celebration of Holy Communion, and the consecrated elements would have been reserved in the Sepulchre
. The carvings depict at the base the sleeping Roman
soldiers guarding the tomb of Christ
, at the top are the apostles gazing havenward at his ascending feet. In between is the risen Christ
, the graveclothes draped over his shoulder. Sadly the glorious stonemasonry suffered at the hands of Oliver Cromwell
's men.
, with a bishop on either side, and above are - on the left St Peter and, on the right St Nicholas. Further down still are two men on all fours gathering grapes among the foliage, and a pelican in her nest.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Hawton
Hawton
Hawton is an English civil parish of some 70 inhabitants. It is situated to the south of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, near the River Devon....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
History
The church is medieval and the chancelChancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is described by Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
as one of the most exciting pieces of architecture in the country. .
On the north side of the chancel is a medieval Easter Sepulchre
Easter Sepulchre
An Easter Sepulchre is a feature of English church architecture .-Description:The Easter Sepulchre is an arched recess generally in the north wall of the chancel, in which from Good Friday to Easter day were deposited the crucifix and sacred elements in commemoration of Christ's entombment and...
. Opposite on the south side is the sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
. The carvings on these two features are considered amongst the best in England.
The carvings in the chancel are thought to be the work of stonemasons who worked on the choir screen and Chapter House in Southwell Minster
Southwell Minster
Southwell Minster is a minster and cathedral, in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. It is six miles away from Newark-on-Trent and thirteen miles from Mansfield. It is the seat of the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.It is considered an outstanding...
.
Easter Sepulchre
Most famous is the Easter SepulchreEaster Sepulchre
An Easter Sepulchre is a feature of English church architecture .-Description:The Easter Sepulchre is an arched recess generally in the north wall of the chancel, in which from Good Friday to Easter day were deposited the crucifix and sacred elements in commemoration of Christ's entombment and...
, which would have been used to reserve the consecrated bread and wine between Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels...
and Easter Day, during which period there would have been no celebration of Holy Communion, and the consecrated elements would have been reserved in the Sepulchre
Sepulchre
The rock-cut tombs in ancient Israel are a group of hundreds of rock-cut tombs constructed in Israel in ancient times. They were cut into the rock, sometimes with elaborate facades and multiple burial chambers. Some are free-standing, but most are caves. Each tomb typically belonged to a...
. The carvings depict at the base the sleeping Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
soldiers guarding the tomb of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, at the top are the apostles gazing havenward at his ascending feet. In between is the risen Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, the graveclothes draped over his shoulder. Sadly the glorious stonemasonry suffered at the hands of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's men.
Sedilia
On the south wall of the chancel is the finely carved sedilia, originally provided for officiating clergy. At the very top are six saints standing on little men and animals, and crowned with angels. Lower are four female figures, then St Edward the MartyrEdward the Martyr
Edward the Martyr was king of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but not his father's acknowledged heir...
, with a bishop on either side, and above are - on the left St Peter and, on the right St Nicholas. Further down still are two men on all fours gathering grapes among the foliage, and a pelican in her nest.
Current parish status
It is in the United Benefice of Farndon with Thorpe and Hawton with Cotham:- All Saints' Church, Hawton
- St. Lawrence's Church, ThorpeSt. Lawrence's Church, ThorpeSt. Lawrence's Church, Thorpe is a parish church in the Church of England in Thorpe, Nottinghamshire.The church is Grade II listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a building of special architectural or historic interest.-History:...
- St. Peter's Church, FarndonSt. Peter's Church, FarndonSt. Peter's Church, Farndon is a parish church in the Church of England in Farndon, Nottinghamshire.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.-History:...
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