Our Church
THE FONT
As you enter the Church, you will see the font on your left, it dates, like the whole building from 1873. This building replaces the former church which was demolished due to dilapidation. In the wall-cupboard at the foot of the stairs are books and plates from the State of Georgia in the United States of America. More about our links with Georgia when we reach the chancel.
1914 – 1918 War Memorial
On the west wall, under the gallery, is the 1914 – 1918 War Memorial, the names with a cross beside them sadly never returned home and whose final resting place is known only to God.
If you wish to go up to the gallery, please be careful, as the stairs are narrow and steep. This was built in the early 1960’s by the local undertakers B.F. Mulley and Son after a fire in the Chancel which damaged part of the choir stalls, in the late 1950’s. The front of the gallery is the undamaged fronts of the choir stalls. The statue in the centre is of John the Baptist.
West Window
The four beautiful stained glass windows in the west wall above the gallery depict, left to right, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Joseph.
Sacred Heart
Coming back down the stairs and going up the Nave, on the window sill of the plain window there is a Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus given, in memory of their son, by Derek and Pat Rawlings.
Light of the World
The next window on the left is Christ the Light of the World, and the next, Christ the Good Shepherd. Two particularly fine stained glass windows.
Pulpit
The Nave ends in the wooden pulpit with a wooden crucifix above where the priest traditionally preaches the Sunday sermon from.
General James Edward Oglethorpe
On entering the Chancel, on your left there is a plaque on the wall; this was removed from the floor between the choir stalls over the Tomb of General James Edward Oglethorpe and his wife Elizabeth of Cranham Hall. The General founded the State of Georgia in the U.S.A. and we welcome many American friends who come to visit. The local school is named after the General.
The Choir Stalls
The Choir Stalls and Communion Rail were given to All Saints by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of Georgia to replace the ones damaged in the fire. Next comes the organ and the Sacristy, and after the door a Memorial to the Wright Family, (James Oglethorpe’s wife was Elizabeth Wright).
The Choir Stalls
Facing the Altar the two windows in the north wall of the Sanctuary are of St. Matthew and St. Mark, the Evangelists.
The Aumbry
On the wall after the window is the Aumbry which houses the Reserved Sacrament and a white light is always burning to show when the consecrated bread is in the Aumbry. The Aumbry is behind the small curtain.
The Crucifixion – East Wall
Over the Altar, the east window is of The Crucifixion with Mary the mother of Jesus and St. John on either side.
The Reredos
The Reredos is a bas carving of The Last Supper and shows Jesus with the twelve disciples sharing their last meal together. The Altar, which is of oak, is hollow, and at Christmas it is turned around to house the nativity scene where at midnight mass on Christmas Eve the priest lays the figure of the baby Jesus in the crib.
The Evangelists
The two windows on the south wall in the Sanctuary are of St. Luke and St. John, the Evangelists. These four windows were removed in Father Bowen’s time and the Victorian ornate decoration was removed to enable more natural light into the Sanctuary.
General Oglethorpe’s Plaque
The large plaque on the wall describes General James Oglethorpe and his exploits with an added insertion at the bottom for his wife. It is fairly difficult to read but a translation is available at the back of the church. Please take one and read at your leisure.
St. Paul and St. John the Baptist
The final window in the Chancel is of St. Paul and St. John the Baptist.
The Lectern
The Lectern in the shape of a winged eagle is of brass and is where the lesson is traditionally read from.
Statue of Our Lady
On the wall of the Nave is a wooden Statue of Mary and the Baby Jesus, this was given by Father Bowen (1961-1972) and replaced a picture of Our Lady.
Zacharias and Elizabeth – South Wall
The window in the south wall of the Nave is of Zacharias and Elizabeth and is in memory of a Mrs. Gunter, who lived in Cranham Hall and who left £50 in her will to pay for it.
The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter
The next window is showing the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter and was given as a thank you offering from a former member of the congregation.
Stations of the Cross
As you tour the church you will note the Fourteen Stations of the Cross running around the walls of the Nave. Number one is by the Pulpit, and number fourteen is just before the Statue of Our Lady, and these were given in memory of Marjorie Littlemore by her husband. Each year during Lent, various explanations of the stations are given with members of the congregation reading the various offices.
The Priest’s View
Looking down the Nave from the Altar which is ‘the Priests view’ the beauty of the church can be appreciated. The carpet was the gift of two parishioners, Leslie Knight and Norman Miles.
The Gallery
The gallery front has shields bearing the arms of the Four Dioceses in which the parish has been during its history, London until 1846, Rochester to 1877, St. Albans until the creation of the Diocese of Chelmsford in 1914. The figure of St. John the Baptist in the centre was sculpted by parishioner Mrs. Iris Dowsing.