As impressive a parish church as your ever likely to see. Rich in detail,
sculpture, painting, wood stone and glass, this is a wonderful sight to behold.
At present the church is undergoing a huge restoration and much of the outside
is in wraps to prevent falling masonary. Many of the carvings have been removed
for the same purpose and are no doubt to be replaced in due course. I shall
place better pictures here when I can get them once the works are out of the
way.
The clustered columns and arches make a fine picture and and give an impressive
sight. It's many instances of craftsmanship is a delight to behold. Carved
seats, carved screens, richly canopied stalls with fine poppyheads, sculptured
niches, handsome panels, a superb bishop's throne, dignified sedilia and a
splendid reredos are captivating. It is hard to believe standing here that
man who can create so much beauty from basic materials be also capable of
such ugliness as seen around the world today.
This modern church, one of the last and best to be built in the 19th century,
designed by the architect of Truro Cathedral with something of a cathedral
splendour about it. There is about 100 carved figures, and as many painted
figures of recognizable people or symbolical characters - saints and apostles,
angels and powers, prophets and poets, bishops and kings. All Saints this
church is called and with good reason.
The Reredos has a Crucifixion in it's central panel, with the three Marys,
John, the Centurion, and Nicodemus at the foot of the cross, and angels above.
In the niches on both sides are our four national saints with St. Stephen
and St. Alban, the first Christian and first English martyrs; and Moses, Daniel,
David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Issac carrying the wood for his own sacrifice.
The print here gives a good impression of the majesty of the church. The
top half of the tower was never completed and is level with the church roof.
The bishop's throne on the north side of the vaulted sanctuary has seven
figures, including Claudia, Richard Poore, and Gundrada the daughter of the
Conqueror, the other four being St. Cuthman, St. Wilfred, Ethelwach, and Richard
de Wych.
Facing the the bishop's throne are five figures above the Sedilia, including
Queen Victoria and Bishop Juxon who stood on the scaffold with Charles Stuart.
In the richly carved canopies of the choir stalls are two groups of six
wooden figures: on one side the Madonna, Simeon, Solomon, David, Deborah,
and Zacharias; on the other the poets George Herbert and John Keble, Bishop
Ken, and three saints.
The windows are filled with pictures but still allow the light to make the
interior glow with a rich warmth. The great east window has the Crucifixion
surrounded by orders of angels, thrones, dominions, principalities, virtues.
The south transept has a fine window of the Church Triumphant which has been
rightly called a Te Deum in glass. In the tower is a richly coloured jesse
window showing the tree of descent from David to Jesus. The fine west window
shows the Creation and the Nativity in a series of charming scenes.
Three windows in the south aisle have nine apsotles and 18 scenes from the
New Testament, and four windows in the north aisle and have 12 prophets and
24 pictures from the Old Testament. In the south chapel are windows of the
adoration, the annunciation, the Crucifixtion, and the Resurrection, with
scenes from the Acts. The baptistry has windows which children rightly love,
showing the Child of Bethlehem. In the rose window the Child has become King
of Kings and Lord of Hosts, with prophets about him and pictures all round.
In a small chapel under the organ the windows have four Fathers of the Church,
and in the quatrefoils are ornaments copied from a Book of Hours of the 16th
century.
The whole plan of these windows is meant to show Christ
Surrering and Triumphant, carrying us step by step through the Old and New
Testament. There are two other small windows showing the English and Irish
patron saints.
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