All Saints Church, Chadshunt
Encyclopedia
All Saints Church, Chadshunt, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the parish
of Chadshunt, Warwickshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. It stands by the side of the road from Kineton
to Southam
. Its general appearance is "long, low and massive".
which dates from the middle of the 12th century. The nave was lengthened towards the west in the 14th century. Early the following century a clerestory
was added to the nave, the south wall was refaced, and buttress
es were added. In the 17th century the west tower was built and in about 1730 the chancel
and north transept
were added. The roof was repaired in 1866, and a restoration was carried out in 1906. The church vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 May 1988.
, with tiled roofs. Its plan consists of a three-bay
nave with a clerestory, a single-bay chancel, a north transept, and a west tower. The approximate dimensions are: the nave 51 feet (15.5 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), the chancel 13.5 feet (4.1 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m), and the transept 15 feet (4.6 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m). The roof of the chancel is higher than that of the nave. In the nave there are doors in the north and south walls of Norman
origin. The north door has a round-headed arch, but the south door was altered in the 14th century, giving it a pointed arch. To the right of the south doorway is a buttress
and a window of paired lancets
, and to its left is a 14th-century two-light window. The clerestory has three straight-headed windows on each side; these are also paired lancets. On the east and west sides of the transept is a round-headed window, and in the north wall is a two-light window. In the east wall of the chancel is a Venetian window, and the south wall contains a round-headed window. The tower is in two stages with diagonal buttresses. On the west side of the lower stage is a door, above which is a two-light window. The upper stage contains a two-light louvred
bell opening on each face. At the top of the tower is a moulded
cornice
and a crenellated
parapet
.
are decorated with carvings, as are two of the stone corbel
s. The roof of the transept has a barrel roof
, while the chancel has a coved and plaster
ed ceiling. The chancel is paved with black marble
and white stone. Around the wall of the chancel is a panelled
, painted dado
. The altar and chancel rails date from about 1730; they are in wrought iron
, and the altar is partly gilt
. In the south wall of the nave, below the easternmost window, is a 13th-century piscina
in a niche
with a trefoil
head under a gable
. All the stalls and pews date from the middle of the 19th century, and this is also the probable date of the family pew in the transept. Around the walls are memorials. The font
is Norman in style and consists of a circular bowl on a moulded base. The bowl is carved with intersecting arcading, and its rim has dog-tooth motifs. The transept windows contain Flemish painted glass from the 18th century, set in glass dated 1855. The ring
consists of six bells, all cast by Richard Keene of Woodstock
in the 17th century, four in 1669, and the other two in 1693.
period. It is constructed in ironstone
and consists of an octagonal base and two steps and a square socket stone. It is listed Grade II. Also in the churchyard are ten tombs, headstones, and groups of headstones, all of which are listed Grade II.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Chadshunt, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. It stands by the side of the road from Kineton
Kineton
Kineton is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 2,278....
to Southam
Southam
Southam is a small market town in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town.The nearest sizeable town to Southam is Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles to the west...
. Its general appearance is "long, low and massive".
History
The earliest fabric in the church is in the eastern part of the naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
which dates from the middle of the 12th century. The nave was lengthened towards the west in the 14th century. Early the following century a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
was added to the nave, the south wall was refaced, and buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es were added. In the 17th century the west tower was built and in about 1730 the chancel
Chancel
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...
and north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
were added. The roof was repaired in 1866, and a restoration was carried out in 1906. The church vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 May 1988.
Exterior
The church is constructed in ironstoneIronstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
, with tiled roofs. Its plan consists of a three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave with a clerestory, a single-bay chancel, a north transept, and a west tower. The approximate dimensions are: the nave 51 feet (15.5 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), the chancel 13.5 feet (4.1 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m), and the transept 15 feet (4.6 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m). The roof of the chancel is higher than that of the nave. In the nave there are doors in the north and south walls of Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
origin. The north door has a round-headed arch, but the south door was altered in the 14th century, giving it a pointed arch. To the right of the south doorway is a buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
and a window of paired lancets
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, and to its left is a 14th-century two-light window. The clerestory has three straight-headed windows on each side; these are also paired lancets. On the east and west sides of the transept is a round-headed window, and in the north wall is a two-light window. In the east wall of the chancel is a Venetian window, and the south wall contains a round-headed window. The tower is in two stages with diagonal buttresses. On the west side of the lower stage is a door, above which is a two-light window. The upper stage contains a two-light louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
bell opening on each face. At the top of the tower is a moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and a crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
.
Interior
The roof of the nave is open. The tie beamsTie (engineering)
A tie, structural tie, connector, or structural connector is a structural component designed to resist tension. It is the opposite of a strut, which is designed to resist compression. Ties are generally made of galvanized steel...
are decorated with carvings, as are two of the stone corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. The roof of the transept has a barrel roof
Barrel roof
A barrel roof is a curved roof that, especially from below, is curved like a cut-away barrel. They have some advantages over dome roofs, especially being able to cover rectangular buildings., due to their uniform cross-section....
, while the chancel has a coved and plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
ed ceiling. The chancel is paved with black marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and white stone. Around the wall of the chancel is a panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
, painted dado
Dado (architecture)
In architectural terminology, the dado, borrowed from Italian meaning die or plinth, is the lower part of a wall, below the dado rail and above the skirting board....
. The altar and chancel rails date from about 1730; they are in wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
, and the altar is partly gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
. In the south wall of the nave, below the easternmost window, is a 13th-century piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
in a niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
with a trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
head under a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
. All the stalls and pews date from the middle of the 19th century, and this is also the probable date of the family pew in the transept. Around the walls are memorials. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is Norman in style and consists of a circular bowl on a moulded base. The bowl is carved with intersecting arcading, and its rim has dog-tooth motifs. The transept windows contain Flemish painted glass from the 18th century, set in glass dated 1855. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of six bells, all cast by Richard Keene of Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
in the 17th century, four in 1669, and the other two in 1693.
External features
In the churchyard is the base of a churchyard cross, dating from the medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
period. It is constructed in ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
and consists of an octagonal base and two steps and a square socket stone. It is listed Grade II. Also in the churchyard are ten tombs, headstones, and groups of headstones, all of which are listed Grade II.