All Saints' Church, Harewood
Encyclopedia
All Saints' Church, Harewood is a 15th-century redundant church
standing in the park of Harewood House
, the seat of the Earls of Harewood
, near the village of Harewood
, West Yorkshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands in isolation within Harewood Park, as the surrounding village was relocated by the owner of Harewood House, in about 1760, to a location further from the house. Inside the church is a set of six alabaster
monuments, that are "the largest collection of alabaster monuments in a parish church
within the dates 1419–1510".
, and was originally dedicated to the Holy Cross. It was not the first church on the site. There is a record of a priest here in the 10th century, and some carving from this period has survived. In 1739 the estate was acquired by the Lascelles family, who in later generations became the Earls of Harewood, and in 1759 they began the building of Harewood House. In the early 1780s the family added battlement
s and pinnacle
s to the church. It was restored
in 1862–63 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
. The restoration included replacement of the ceiling, the pews and the stained glass, and adding a new altar, lectern
, pulpit
and font
. By 1978 the effigies
on the alabaster monuments were deteriorating and when the church was taken into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust they were restored and repairs were carried out to the fabric of the church. All Saints was declared redundant on 1 November 1977, and was vested
in the Trust on 24 October 1978.
, Lord Chief Justice
and his wife Elizabeth; it dates from about 1419. Sir William is dressed in his robes and he carries a purse and a dagger. The later tombs display a greater sophistication in their carving, and they reflect the fashions of the day. The latest effigies are of Edward Redman and his wife, dating from about 1510; the depiction of Edward Redman is said to be a true-to-life portrait, a rarity at the time it was carved.
In the chancel is a wall memorial to Sir Thomas Denison who died in 1765. The church contains two fonts; one is Norman
and the other dates from the Victorian era
. The octagonal pulpit dates from the 19th century and contains marble
columns and carved stone panels. The altar rails and gates are a memorial to George V
and include the insignia of the Order of the British Empire
, Order of the Garter
, Order of the Thistle
and Order of St Patrick. The latest memorial in the church is on the north wall; it is to the memory of the 6th Earl of Harewood
and his wife, Mary, Princess Royal
. The stained glass in the west window is from the studio of Charles Eamer Kempe
.
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...
standing in the park of Harewood House
Harewood House
Harewood House is a country house located in Harewood , near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of Treasure Houses of England, a marketing consortium for nine of the foremost stately homes in England...
, the seat of the Earls of Harewood
Earl of Harewood
Earl of Harewood, in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1812 for Edward Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, a wealthy sugar plantation owner and former Member of Parliament for Northallerton...
, near the village of Harewood
Harewood
Harewood is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The A61 runs through the village, from Leeds city centre in the south to Harrogate in the north...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, 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 I 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...
. The church stands in isolation within Harewood Park, as the surrounding village was relocated by the owner of Harewood House, in about 1760, to a location further from the house. Inside the church is a set of six alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
monuments, that are "the largest collection of alabaster monuments in a parish church
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....
within the dates 1419–1510".
History
The present church was built in about 1410 by Elizabeth and Sybil, the daughters of William de Aldburgh of the nearby Harewood CastleHarewood Castle
Harewood Castle is a 12th-century stone hall house and courtyard fortress, located on the Harewood Estate, Harewood, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England . Harewood Castle is a grade I listed building.-History:...
, and was originally dedicated to the Holy Cross. It was not the first church on the site. There is a record of a priest here in the 10th century, and some carving from this period has survived. In 1739 the estate was acquired by the Lascelles family, who in later generations became the Earls of Harewood, and in 1759 they began the building of Harewood House. In the early 1780s the family added battlement
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...
s and pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s to the church. It was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1862–63 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
. The restoration included replacement of the ceiling, the pews and the stained glass, and adding a new altar, lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
, pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and 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:...
. By 1978 the effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
on the alabaster monuments were deteriorating and when the church was taken into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust they were restored and repairs were carried out to the fabric of the church. All Saints was declared redundant on 1 November 1977, and was 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 Trust on 24 October 1978.
Fittings and furniture
The set of alabaster monuments are described as being "the glory of the church"; they consist of the effigies of six recumbent couples lying on tomb chests, and all depict members of families connected with the Harewood estate. All the monuments were originally brightly coloured, but the colour has been lost, leaving the white alabaster. On the sides of the tombs are depictions of angels, saints and mourners. The oldest tomb, in the south chapel, is that of Sir William GascoigneWilliam Gascoigne
Sir William Gascoigne Kt. was Chief Justice of England during the reign of King Henry IV. Sir William Gascoigne was born in Gawthorpe W-Riding, Yorks. In 1369, William married Elizabeth de Mowbray...
, Lord Chief Justice
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
and his wife Elizabeth; it dates from about 1419. Sir William is dressed in his robes and he carries a purse and a dagger. The later tombs display a greater sophistication in their carving, and they reflect the fashions of the day. The latest effigies are of Edward Redman and his wife, dating from about 1510; the depiction of Edward Redman is said to be a true-to-life portrait, a rarity at the time it was carved.
In the chancel is a wall memorial to Sir Thomas Denison who died in 1765. The church contains two fonts; one is 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...
and the other dates from the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. The octagonal pulpit dates from the 19th century and contains 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...
columns and carved stone panels. The altar rails and gates are a memorial to George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and include the insignia of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, Order of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
and Order of St Patrick. The latest memorial in the church is on the north wall; it is to the memory of the 6th Earl of Harewood
Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood
Henry George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood KG GCVO DSO TD , styled The Hon. Henry Lascelles before 1892 and Viscount Lascelles between 1892 and 1929, was the son of the 5th Earl of Harewood and Lady Florence Bridgeman.Lascelles was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards and commanded the...
and his wife, Mary, Princess Royal
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
. The stained glass in the west window is from the studio of Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England