All Saints Church, Wraxall
Encyclopedia
All Saints Church is the parish church in Wraxall
, Somerset
, England. It has been dedicated "to all the Saints". The building is surrounded by an extensive cemetery
.
The present building was raised in the 14th century, with tower
, clock
and bell
s being added in later centuries. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a grade I listed building.
Parish registers survive from 1562, and include examples of the baptism
of black slave
s. There are painted stone figures of Sir Edmond Gorges and his wife in the chancel
. The nearby rectory
was built in the 17th century.
The West Tower, is 85 feet (25.9 m) high, and contains eight bells, three of which date from 1705. The clock face was added in 1730.
The large churchyard
contains several monuments to the Gibbs family which owned the nearby Tyntesfield
Estate, which has recently been purchased by the National Trust
following the death of Baron Wraxall
.
, who were lords of this manor for some 400 years, are buried under the building's floors, although most of their headstones have been moved or destroyed.
In 2006 parish leaders began a project to convert an abandoned school building on the grounds (the Old Georgian School, which opened in 1809) into a new meeting room and parish office, with restrooms, handicapped facilities and a kitchen. The project was estimated to cost £200,000 and was slated to begin in 2009.
Wraxall, Somerset
Wraxall is a village in North Somerset in England. The parish of the same name also included Nailsea and Flax Bourton until 1811. It is now within the parish of Wraxall and Failand.-History:...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It has been dedicated "to all the Saints". The building is surrounded by an extensive cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
.
The present building was raised in the 14th century, with tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
, clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
and bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s being added in later centuries. The church 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.
Parish registers survive from 1562, and include examples of the baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
of black slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s. There are painted stone figures of Sir Edmond Gorges and his wife in 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...
. The nearby rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was built in the 17th century.
The West Tower, is 85 feet (25.9 m) high, and contains eight bells, three of which date from 1705. The clock face was added in 1730.
The large churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
contains several monuments to the Gibbs family which owned the nearby Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England, near Nailsea, seven miles from Bristol.The house was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fund raising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public...
Estate, which has recently been purchased by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
following the death of Baron Wraxall
Baron Wraxall
Baron Wraxall, of Clyst St George in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1928 for the Conservative politician George Gibbs. , the title is held by his second son, the third Baron, who succeeded his elder brother in 2001. He is a retired diplomat....
.
History
The southern doorway of the present building was part of a previous building of Norman date. It appears that portions of the chancel, north aisle and south porch were rebuilt at that time. The tower, roofs and windows were apparently rebuilt and enlarged in the fifteenth century. Members of the Gorges familyGorges family
The House of Gorges is an ancient English family with Norman origins. Radulph, Lord of the Château de Gorges came over to England from Gorges in the canton of Périers in Normandy in the army of William the Conqueror in the year 1066 and acquired a knighthood. He had thus started the history of...
, who were lords of this manor for some 400 years, are buried under the building's floors, although most of their headstones have been moved or destroyed.
In 2006 parish leaders began a project to convert an abandoned school building on the grounds (the Old Georgian School, which opened in 1809) into a new meeting room and parish office, with restrooms, handicapped facilities and a kitchen. The project was estimated to cost £200,000 and was slated to begin in 2009.