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All Saints Parish Church, Church Street.       Historical Photographs             Historical Links     Back to History Page

The following is extracted from Rev. H. Whitley's 'History of Sapcote' written in 1853 and 'A History of The Parish Church of All Saints, Sapcote, Leicestershire' by the Rev Douglas W. Tyldesley , M.A. published in 1981 with additional research by Keith B. Hextall Our Parish Church has not always gone under the name of All Saints. The late Rev. Douglas Tylesley in his History of All Saints , Sapcote, written in 1981 was to remark. "The dedication of Sapcote parish church is All Saints. Accordingly, the Patronal Festival is celebrated on the weekend nearest to All Saints Day (November 1). As a village, Sapcote is unusual in that this and its Wake Sunday do not coincide, for the latter is by ancient custom celebrated on the Sunday following September 9th. Why this date? It has no significance in the Anglican church calendar. It may be that it is near the date when the church was first dedicated or the original building completed. Clearly, it is a very ancient custom, and its origins may never be discovered." There is however, documentary evidence that does explain the above. Nichols in his History of the Antiquities of Leicestershire, writing about Sapcote in 1810 was to make the remark: "The Church, dedicated to All Saints is an ancient structure."  A footnote on the same page reads:  "The feast or wake has always been kept the Sunday next ensuing the beheading of St. John the Baptist; and the local tradition is, that it (The Church) is dedicated to that saint." To go back in time we must look at Leicestershire Medieval Village Notes compiled by G.F. Farnham . In the section on Sapcote we find that up to the Reformation, and at least until 1542, All Saints was known as the church of St. John.  In a Common Pleas Plea Roll of 1542 in the reign of Henry V111, German Pole, esq., and John Staresmore, esq., v. Peter West, clerk, in a plea that he, together with John, bishop of Lincoln, and George Vincent, esq., permit them to present a suitable parson to the church of St. John of Sapcote, which is void, and the presentation belongs to German and John. Changing the name of a church was quite common at this period and it is interesting to note that the Church of St. Michael in Stoney Stanton, was known as the Church of St. Peter in 1312. The general plan of the church suggests an origin in Norman times, though only the font survives from this period. In 1220 there is a reference to William Basset as Patron of the living. The present building was probably erected on existing foundations during the Early English period (1189-1307). The nave was in existence before the chantry chapel was added between 1361 and 1376. The Church seems to have retained much of its ancient character until the year 1794 when extensive alterations were made. The Norman Font The circular bowl is Norman (11th century) and has a diameter of 2 feet 7 inches. The exterior is decorated with repeated patterns described by Pevsner in his Buildings of England series (Leicestershire and Rutland), as "coarse, many-lobed upright leaves and other plant shapes of uncommon design".  The font has had a chequered history. In 1794 it was removed to the churchyard and was used to catch rainwater. The font had been replaced by one of "Mansfield stone". It is this font which is illustrated in J. Nichols' "History of Leicestershire " under Sparkenhoe Hundred, published in 1810. The font was removed to the Rectory garden and from there to the church tower. In 1842 it was sent to London to be restored. On its return it was set on a pedestal in the church in the main aisle opposite the south door, where it remained until it was transferred to its present position near the north door in 1886. The Nave The walls of the Nave are of local pink granite, with ashlar-faced buttresses of brown-green sandstone. The centre of the roof can be seen to be further from the north wall of the nave than from the south wall. The most likely explanation would seem to be that there was an original south wall in the space now occupied by the south buttresses, and the composition of the buttresses suggests this.  The South Doorway seems from the stonework to be from c.1380-1400, so this presumably is when the south wall was moved inwards. Probably at this time the nave was heightened, and a parapet added (note the change in the size of stones in the north wall of the nave). On the west wall of the nave, against the tower, may be seen the lines of earlier roofs of different pitch. A new window, now blocked up, was inserted above the south door in 1792, to assist in lighting a gallery. A medieval Mass Dial may be seen on an external buttress on the south side of the church. This was a primitive sun-dial into which a stick may still be placed to cast a shadow on the lines marking times for services. The North Aisle. The North Aisle began as a Chantry Chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and was attached to the north side of the church (1361-1376). Originally there were four windows lighting up the chapel, one facing east, one facing west and two facing north. The clerestory windows would also have been inserted at this time making the church much lighter than it is today.  On the exterior stonework of the windows are male and female heads that are most probably representations of members of the Basset family. Higher up are two niches where the statues of the Virgin Mary would have been placed.  In the windows at the east and west end of the north aisle, as late as 1789 were some remains of ancient stained glass. These fragments were taken out but later recovered by the Rev. J. Bickersteth (1837-55), who had them replaced in the eastern window of the aisle. Originally the arms of the Bassets were in every window of the Church, but only this single coat of arms, formed from the fragments remained, being there until 1886 when the vestry was extended outwards using the window as the entrance from the aisle. It is not known what happened to the stained glass . Removing this window made the church much darker.  In 1794, when major building work took place, the old flat lead-covered roof was removed and the roof raised and covered with Swithland slates. By raising the roof, the four clerestory windows were blocked up. The whole church was plastered over at this period, the stone mullions and tracery in the windows, and the carved oak stalls were removed.  The arcades of pillars and arches in the Perpendicular style was formed when the chantry chapel was added: the capitals of the three piers incorporate a "padstone" which originally would have supported the main beams of the chantry roof and can now be clearly seen.  In 1880 the north aisle roof was lowered to some extent and the clerestory windows were partially re-opened, though as may be seen from inside, the lower third is still walled up. There is an Aumbrey or cupboard for locking up the vessels in the north wall of the north aisle (chantry chapel).  The Memorial Stone Slab at the east end of the north aisle(chantry chapel), eight feet long and of Purbeck stone, is believed to mark the grave of Lord Ralph Basset, founder of the Chantry, who died in 1378.  The Chancel  The Chancel was "restored and neatly re-built" in 1843. The fourteenth century Squint or Hagioscope piercing the north side of the chancel arch is an early and unusual feature of the church. It is four feet six inches in length and was formed to allow a view of the sanctuary and Communion Table from the Chantry chapel. There is a Piscina or stone bowl for washing the vessels for Holy Communion, complete with water drain hole, in the south wall of the sanctuary. An Aumbrey or cupboard for locking up the vessels is in the north wall of the sanctuary. The double Sedilia, or stone seats, to be seen in the south wall of the sanctuary are not ancient, being formed only in the nineteenth century. The Tower The Tower is sixty feet in height and appears to be slightly later than the body of the church, as it is formed of cut stones instead of the earlier rubble infilling. It appears to be of the Decorated period and the structure of tower and spire indicates that they were erected together. The spire was damaged in a heavy gale of wind 14 March, 1757 and 16ft had to be rebuilt. The weathercock was replaced in 1909, the old one being suitably inscribed and preserved in the vestry. Stained Glass The Four Evangelists Windows in the south wall of the Chancel are in memory of the Meyrick family and are of late 19th and early 20th century date. The East Window was inserted in 1919 replacing one of 1843. The window is in memory of the Rev Alfred George Lound, Rector of All Saints for thirty six years. The central figure is of Jesus Christ with the invitation "Come unto Me". The side figures are the apostle John (with quill pen) and the woman with the box of ointment generally identified with Mary Magdalene, and texts "He is the propitiation of our sins" and "Thy sins are forgiven thee." The lower part of the window is obscured by the reredos fitted in 1937. The Good Shepherd window in the south wall of the nave is by Eva Hine, and was given in memory of Thomas Henry Wood, Churchwarden, who died in 1899 aged 40, by his widow Dorcas. It was erected in 1953 and features the Good Shepherd, the Last Supper, Noah's Ark, and Abraham and Isaac. Above, are symbols of the Gospel Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, also of five other "states of life". The Organ An organ was introduced into the church in 1837, and placed in the Gallery. The organ replaced an orchestra in leading the music. In 1899 the present organ, by J. Porritt of Leicester, was purchased. In 1935, an electric blower was installed. A plaque on the organ reads: "The electric blower was installed in this organ in September 1935 on the initiative of Cecil Brown, Organist of this church 1907-1949." The Registers The earliest register dates from 1564. The Church Clock The clock was presented in 1791 by Mrs Mary Frewen and was the work of Samuel Dalton of Rugby. When originally given, it had a square dial, and only one hand. In 1852, the clock was given a round dial and the mechanism was modified to enable a minute hand to be added. At this time the text from John ch. 5 v. 25 was added: "The hour is coming". To celebrate the millennium the clock was restored, a new dial made and the mechanism electrified. The Porch The former Porch, of wood, was demolished and replaced by one of stone in 1840: this in turn was later to be rebuilt in 1886. The Lych Gate This was built as a War Memorial in 1947. It bears the Leicester Diocesan coat of arms and Biblical texts. "Come ye apart and rest awhile" on entering, and "Depart in peace" on leaving. Two of the stone blocks bear masons' marks, following ancient custom. The Bells Before 1611 there were only three bells, but in that year the great bell broke, and was re-cast into two The catastrophe was duly chronicled on the cover of the register as follows:- "The great Bell of Sapcot was broke on ye feaste day of St. Michaell 1611, and cast into two Bells, on the ninth day of Novembar ye same, and hunge up on the ............." Also in this register we read:_ "The bells of Sapcoate were newly hunge in a newe frame, the X1th day of Auguste, in the yeare of our Lord 1621........." The bells were re-hung in August 1721, and again in 1809, when the broken second bell was re-cast. In 1895, two new bells were added, the smallest of the four re-cast, and all were re-hung on steel girders. The total remained at six until 1970, when two further bells were added. In November 1977, Sapcote became one of only two villages in the county to have a ring of ten bells, when two more were donated by the Head Ringer, Michael Brown. The oldest bell is the Tenor which carries the inscription: Thomas Newcombe of Leicester made mee 1611. At the present day ringing for service takes place regularly twice on a Sunday and often includes a quarter peal. Practice night is held on Tuesday evenings. In 1853 the Rev. H. Whitley reported:- "It is the custom in this village, as in many others, for the ringers to practise every week for one hour. Monday evening from 7 to 8, is the time chosen for this purpose at Sapcote, though, of course, local circumstances sometimes render the alteration of the hour necessary. Of all the offices which a church bell is made to perform, that of knolling for the dead is the most solemn. When any one dies in this parish, if a male, three strokes are repeated three times, then the bell is rung in the usual manner for a few minutes, and ceases after the thrice three strokes have been again given. If the deceased person be a female, two strokes only are given, but repeated the same number of times:- viz., three times two."