Church of All Saints, Langport

The Church of All Saints in Langport, Somerset, England, has 12th-century origins but was rebuilt in the late 15th century. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[1]

Church of All Saints
LocationLangport, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°02′14″N 2°49′31″W
Built15th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated17 April 1959[1]
Reference no.263185
Church of All Saints, Langport is located in Somerset
Church of All Saints, Langport
Location of Church of All Saints in Somerset

Architecture

The Perpendicular square tower, which is in three stages, dates from around 1455,[2] but the top section was rebuilt in 1833. New aisles were added in 1499.[3] It has a number of interesting gargoyles known locally as 'hunky punks'.[1] The portcullis in the stonework above the battlements is from the coat of arms of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby who was Lord of the Manor of Eastover in the Parish of Langport. Two of the hunky punks are believed to represent Margaret Beaufort and her son Henry VII of England.[4]

The East window of the chancel contains a set of late 15th century glass depicting various saints, appropriate to the dedication "All Saints". Although restored in the 19th century, it remains one of the best preserved medieval windows in Somerset. Additionally, it is unusual in that the window contains a full set of glass from the same period.

Usage

The church is used for occasional parish services, meaning its congregation has been merged with nearby St Mary's Huish, mother church of the Parish of Huish Episcopi cum Langport. It is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[5] The church was declared redundant on 1 July 1994, and was vested in the Trust on 28 June 1995.[6] The Trust has carried out extensive rebuilding work.[7]

In 2011, the Churches Conservation Trust and the community of Langport started an innovative regeneration project at All Saints church.[8] Now the Regeneration Task-force at the Churches Conservation Trust is working in partnership with a group of local young people aged 16–25 to regenerate All Saints church with a new use. The group of young people is called the 'New Saints'.[9]

See also

References
  1. Historic England, "Church of All Saints, Langport (1056616)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 8 July 2013
  2. Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981), The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 – 1550, Avebury Publishing Company, ISBN 0-86127-502-0
  3. Dunning, Robert (2007). Somerset Churches and Chapels: Building Repair and Restoration. Halsgrove. p. 44. ISBN 978-1841145921.
  4. Wright, Peter Poyntz (2004). Hunky Punks: A Study in Somerset Stone Carving (2 ed.). Heart of Albion Press. pp. 15–16. ISBN 978-1872883755.
  5. All Saints' Church, Langport, Somerset, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 2 April 2011
  6. Diocese of Bath and Wells: All Schemes (PDF), Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2011, p. 4, retrieved 2 April 2011
  7. "The Churches Conservation Trust", The Institute of Historic Building Conservation, retrieved 5 March 2008
  8. The Regeneration Taskforce, Churches Conservation Trust, archived from the original on 24 December 2011, retrieved 13 December 2011
  9. Langport All Saints – a youth empowerment project, Churches Conservation Trust, archived from the original on 27 January 2012, retrieved 13 December 2011
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