All Saints Story
Early Times ...
The present church is believed to be at least the third building on this site. It is thought probable that, in Saxon times, a wooden church would have been erected on the ridge near the river crossing, which would have been a ford in those days. The church would therefore have been a Saxon "gateway" church, near the river gate, dedicated to "All Saints", so as to be acceptable to all comers.
The site stands above the ancient city wall, the remains of which can still be seen below the west side of the tower. The Normans built a church there, and traces of it can be found in the north-east tower buttress. That church was rebuilt in the Fifteenth Century, and the lower stage of the tower is of that time. When looking at the church, it is important to remember that it was surrounded by houses and the church had to stand above them.
More ...
Looking Back
As we embrace a new start at All Saints, and we look ahead to the future, it is worth remembering where we have come from. Some of our people have been worshipping here for many years. Indeed, The LORD has been glorified on this site for hundreds of years!
The Bells of All Saints
This interesting site gives details of the bells of All Saints, bell ringing history, timetables and rotas. This site also has links to other bell ringing sites in Worcestershire.
Bellringing
Eighteenth Century ...
What we see now is the result of the Georgian rebuilding of 1742-45. We do not know who the architect was (if there was one), but we do know that the builders were Richard Squire (Master Mason) and his brother-in-law Richard Davies (Master Carpenter). Their memorials are in the church, upon which each is described as "... one of the Master-Builders of this Church." The work has sometimes been ascribed to Thomas White, well-known Worcester architect of that period, but there is no evidence to connect it with White.
The Victorian Restoration ...
In 1869, the church building was "restored" under the direction of the eminent architect Sir Aston Webb, and the interior that we see now is largely the result of that reordering. Two photographs on a pillar near the door show the interior as it had been previously, with box pews, a Georgian "bird bath" font, and a west gallery with fine organ case. There were further alterations in 1966, when the church was redecorated and much of the excessive Victorian embellishment removed. More recently, pews were removed from the west end to create an extremely useful "social area".
The Tower Restoration ...
For 20 years, from 1975, the tower was without its parapet, the previous masonry having been removed because it was unsafe. As a result of a major Tower Restoration Appeal, a completely new parapet was added in 1995, considerably enhancing the Worcester skyline as viewed from the west side of the river. This work was recognised with a Civic Award.
All Saints Parish ...
The original parish of All Saints was the largest and most densely populated in the City. Old paintings show the church as being surrounded by houses on all sides, and when it was rebuilt in the eighteenth century it was designed to be large and imposing, so that it stood out from these houses. Much of the housing was in the form of "courts" which, as was so often the case in inner-city areas, became slums. The first clearances were made in the 1830s, when some timber-framed house which stood close-by on the north side were taken down. In the twentieth century, it was decided to create a major road from the top of High Street to the river bridge, and so "Deansway" was created and many more houses disappeared.
Parochial Reorganisation ...
All Saints was one of ten ancient parishes within the area of the city walls, four of them (St Andrew's, St Alban's, St Helen's, and St Michael's) lying between All Saints and the Cathedral. Gradually, these latter parishes became united into one with All Saints. The most recent reorganisation took place in 1984, when All Saints and St Nicholas Parishes were united and the Benefice of Worcester City was created, with the Parish of Old St Martin with St Swithun and St Paul as the other half of Worcester City Parish.
Twenty First Century ...
In the first few years of the twenty first century the restoration continues. Not only do the people of All Saints embrace renewal by the Holy Spirit, but they have carried out further restoration to the building itself. With the help of a grant from English Heritage we carried out major repairs to the roof and to parts of the external masonry. Other facilities have been improved. Initially, new Bibles, hymnbooks and a computerised projector system were purchased to help with our worship. A new sound system and mixing desk were installed. As our numbers grow we recognise the need for a better way of serving refreshments after worship. New toilets are needed to replace the temporary ones. We will be looking at more creative ways to use the available space, including development of the "social area" for ministry to our younger people. We are thinking about more flexible seating.
Points of Interest in the Church ...
Chained Bible:
An injunction by Thomas Cromwell in 1538 (on behalf of Henry VIII) ordered that a Bible of the largest size be placed in every parish church. These books, being very valuable, were chained to prevent theft. This Bible appears to date from 1617. It has lost its title page and it has been rebound several times. It is said to be one of only two chained bibles surviving in a parish church.
Chapel:
This was created as "St Andrew's Chapel" in 1932, following the unification of St Andrew's and All Saints' parishes.
Pulpit:
The panels, with carved representations of the four evangelists and St Peter, are from the former three-decker pulpit.
Chancel Screens:
The gilded wrought ironwork is a good example of the period (1889).
East Window:
Dates from the 19th Century, designed by Powell, of Whitechapel, and representing Christ in Glory. An impressive window, given by the Hyde family.
Sepia Picture:
(above the altar) By Joseph Rushton, c. 1867, a noted painter employed at the Porcelain works.
Organ:
The two manual organ was moved from the west gallery before the 1889 restoration. The imposing organ case, seen in the photograph referred to above, was not reused. It has been rebuilt several times and is said to contain some pipes from 1770. All Saints is a very resonant building and the organ makes a fine sound.
Lectern:
A traditional "eagle" lectern transferred to All Saints from St Nicholas' Church when the latter closed in 1990.
Mayor's Ornament:
A decorative piece of Georgian ironwork which would originally have marked the mayor's seat in the three-decker pulpit. A similar piece may be seen in St Swithun's Church, which retains its three-decker pulpit.
Effigies
... of Edward Hurdman, first mayor of Worcester (1621), and his wife, on the sill of the south-west window. Hurdman's house was an imposing building close to the church, of which he was churchwarden. He gave a communion cup which is still in use.
Stained Glass:
The west window, and the four roundels at the end of each aisle, contain fragments of some remarkable medieval glass. The lower panels in the west window contain beautiful 15th Century glass which may once have comprised the medieval east window. The upper panels are fragments of 15th and 17th Century glass. From the north-west corner going clockwise, the roundels represent the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Old Font:
(north-west corner) An early Norman font from St Andrew's Church. It has been much repaired and is no longer in use. The font cover came from St Alban's Church, and its carved acorn knob suggests a Jacobean date.
The Plate:
All Saints Church possesses an unusually large number of items (communion cups, patens, etc) having inherited them from its former constituent parishes. The earliest pieces bear a 1571 hallmark, while others date from 1635 and 1647. A communion cup from St Helen's Church dated 1571 was presented to All Saint's Church, Massachusetts, USA in 1943.
The Bells:
The fine peal of twelve bells (tenor 20 cwt) consists of four cast in 1692 by Abraham Rudhall 1 of Gloucester; other bells by the Rudhall family are dated 1750 and 1752 (when they became a ring of ten). The Tenor Bell was recast by Thomas Mears & Son in 1815, and the two Treble Bells were cast by the Whitechapel Foundry in 1977.
(Our thanks to David Beacham for providing this information about All Saints Church.)