All Saints Church, Boltongate

All Saints Church, Boltongate
West end of All Saints Church, Boltongate
All Saints Church, Boltongate Location in Cumbria
Coordinates: 54°45′22″N 3°11′55″W / 54.7560°N 3.1986°W / 54.7560; -3.1986
OS grid reference	NY 229 407
Location	Boltongate, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	All Saints, Boltongate
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	11 April 1967
Architectural type	Church
Specifications
Materials	Limestone; nave roof of sandstone slates, chancel roof of green slate
Administration
Parish	All Saints, Bolton
Deanery	Derwent
Archdeaconry	West Cumberland
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Revd Stephen Walker

All Saints Church, Boltongate, is in the village of Boltongate, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Solway, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland and the diocese of Carlisle.^[1] A former fortified church, it has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.^[2]

History

The church dates mainly from the late 14th century, and it is built on a plinth from an earlier church. The bellcote was moved to its present position in 1812.^[2]

Architecture

Exterior

The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner describes the church as "one of the architectural sensations of Cumberland".^[3] Externally it is Perpendicular in style, while internally it is more Scottish with French influences.^[3] The church is built in limestone; the roof of the nave has sandstone slates, while that of the chancel is in green slate. Its plan consists of a two-bay nave with north and south porches and chapels forming north and south transepts, and a three-bay chancel with a north vestry. At the west, but set back from the west front, is a twin bellcote. A plain parapet runs round the walls of the nave and a cross finial stands on the east gable. At the northeast junction of the nave and chancel is a hexagonal stair turret that leads to a walkway around the parapet; the turret is surmounted by a slate-covered spire. In the south wall of the chancel is an arched priest's doorway. The nave has a stone barrel-vaulted roof.^[2][3] This indicates that this was a fortified building, and it is said to be the only stone barrel-vaulted church in England.^[4] The chancel has an open timber roof. Corbels at the west end support the bellcote and the parapet walk. The corbels elsewhere in the nave have an uncertain function.^[2][3]

Interior

Interior

There are piscinae in both transepts; the piscina in the south transept has an ogee arch and recesses for aumbries. There is another piscina in the south wall. The font dates from the 14th century. Around the walls are plaques dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the windows is stained glass dated 1864 and 1884 designed by R. B. Edmundson. On the west wall are boards dating from the 19th century that carry the Creed and Lord's Prayer.^[2] The organ was built by the Casson Positive Organ Company.^[5]

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria

References

1. ^ All Saints, Bolton, Church of England, http://www.achurchnearyou.com/venue-12478/, retrieved 15 March 2010 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Church of All Saints, Boltons", The National Heritage List for England (English Heritage), 2011, http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1312157, retrieved 11 May 2011 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002) [1967], Cumberland and Westmorland, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, pp. 70–71, ISBN 0-300-09590-2 
4. ^ The reference describes it as tunnel vault, which is an alternative name for barrel vault: Davis, Philip, Boltongate Church of All Saints, The Gatehouse, Philip Davis, http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/3934.html, retrieved 22 March 2010 
5. ^ Cumberland, Boltongate, All Saints, British Institute of Organ Studies, http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=G00015, retrieved 24 March 2010