All Saints, Vange Church, Essex

All Saints, Vange

Church Details

Redundancy Date: 2/14/1996
Visited: 03/08/2003 & 18/12/2005
Locking Status: Consult church website for opening details
Built: Norman
Restoration: 1837
Restoration Architect: T. Sneezum
Website: http://www.visitchurches.org.uk

External Images

All Saints, Vange Church - Seen here, from the Southeast, the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that Vange church has looked as idyllic as this for centuries.

Image ID: 0008e001

All Saints, Vange Church - Again, from this view, it seems that little could ever have been wrong for this little church ...

Image ID: 0008e002

$All Saints, Vange Church - ... however, on my first visit (2003), things looked rather different. Here, you can see the boarded up east window.\n Unfortunately, Vange church was made redundant in the early 1990s. It was subjected to much vandalism and abuse in the intervening years. Shortly after my first visit, though, I was informed that the church had passed into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, who were going to 'make safe' the building.\n The architect for Vange church is Alan Greening, who has, in my opinion, done a splendid job of restoring this church to it's former glory.\n$

Image ID: 0008e003

All Saints, Vange Church - The North door, with very tidy belfry sitting atop the church.

Image ID: 0008e004

All Saints, Vange Church - And a similar view, before restoration work was commenced.

Image ID: 0008e005

All Saints, Vange Church - As far as I am aware, the belfry now proudly sitting on top of
the church is completely new.

Image ID: 0008e006

All Saints, Vange Church - It seems that the old one was unfortunately beyond repair.

Image ID: 0008e007

All Saints, Vange Church - The now tidy West end of the church.

Image ID: 0008e008

All Saints, Vange Church - The church, as it is today, from the Northwest.

Image ID: 0008e009

All Saints, Vange Church - And a similar view, before work was started.

Image ID: 0008e010

All Saints, Vange Church - The S wall of the church, showing the S door, and the blocked
Norman window.

Image ID: 0008e011

All Saints, Vange Church - The same side of the church, before repair work. Note the
outline of a S porch in the brickwork. This has now been removed.

Image ID: 0008e012

All Saints, Vange Church - The blocked Norman S window as it is today ...

Image ID: 0008e013

All Saints, Vange Church - ... and as it looked before the CCT's intervention.

Image ID: 0008e014

All Saints, Vange Church - Clearly shown here, is the outline of the S porch.

Image ID: 0008e015

All Saints, Vange Church - The extent of the decaying fabric of the church is evident
here ...

Image ID: 0008e016

Image ID: 0008e017

All Saints, Vange Church - When I originally saw the extent of this crack in the W wall,
I really did think that Vange church would not be standing for much longer.
Fortunately I was wrong.

Image ID: 0008e018

Internal Images

All Saints, Vange Church - The full view to the E, taken from underneath the W gallery.

Image ID: 0008i001

Image ID: 0008i002

All Saints, Vange Church - Looking W through the chancel arch.

Image ID: 0008i003

All Saints, Vange Church - The view from the pulpit.

Image ID: 0008i004

All Saints, Vange Church - A good view of the West end of the church, clearly showing the
gallery and the original font below.
See more on churches with west galleries at:

http://www.westgallerychurches.com.

Image ID: 0008i005

All Saints, Vange Church - The rood stairs. Information at the back of the church
describes how the external walls of the rood stairs were effectively dismantled
stone-by-stone during the restoration, and then carefully pieced back together
again.

Image ID: 0008i006

All Saints, Vange Church - The nave from the W gallery - it is interesting to compare
this with the image in the "Postcards" tab.

Image ID: 0008i007

Image ID: 0008i008

Image ID: 0008i009

All Saints, Vange Church - Tiles were used in the restoration of the chancel arch.

Image ID: 0008i010

Glass Images

All Saints, Vange Church - The remaining coloured glass from the E window.
Ben, the keyholder who kindly showed us around, explained that
much of the broken glass was collected from the floor, and is now displayed in
an ornamental fashion at St Chad's church (also in Vange).

Image ID: 0008g001

All Saints, Vange Church - The E window.

Image ID: 0008g002

All Saints, Vange Church - The replacement S window. Much of the original lead work is
still around, but was too badly damaged to be put back into use.

Image ID: 0008g003

All Saints, Vange Church - The West window, as seen from the West gallery.

Image ID: 0008g004

Monument Images

All Saints, Vange Church - To the memory of Mary the vertuous wife of
George Maule Rector of this Parish, & Charles their Onely Child: Shee was the
daughter of Justinian Champneis of Wrotham, and of Sarah, daughter of John
Darell of Calehill in Kent, Esquires.

Shee dyed Septemb. 4th 1659.

Reader, putt of thy shooes, thou tread'st on Holy earth,
Where lyes the rarest Phoenix, and Her Onely Birth;
Whom Shee survived; O strange unheard of wonder!
But (Alas;) now dead, those pavements buried under:
Lament her loss, the world growes worse; of her rare brood
There is None left to breed the like; Shee was so good:
Blest Saint! onee myne AEquall; O might I now adore thee!
Thy bliss, My loss, that thou to rest art gon before mee:
O let thy Cinders warme that Bed of dust for mee,
(Thy mournfull Husband) till I come to ly by Thee.

Lugens fudit G: M: supradict
Sacr. Theolog. Baccalaur.

Image ID: 0008n001

All Saints, Vange Church - Georgius Maule S.T.B.
triginta tres annos
hujus Eclesiae Pastor
Spe certa resurrectionis futurae
per Christum, ad gloriam
exuvias carnis suae, prope cineres
Mariae uxoris ejus, heic juxta reponi
vivens, curavit, excessit

Image ID: 0008n002

All Saints, Vange Church - Beneath this Marble
are deposited the Mortal Remains of the
Revd David James
Eldest Son of the late Mr John James
of Handir in Cardiganshire;
and near 20 Years Curate of this Parish,
who died April 18th 1806.
In the 46th Year of his Age.

Also Elizabeth James daughter of the above
died March 20th 1804. Aged 8 Months.

Image ID: 0008n003

Miscellaneous Images

Image ID: 0008m001

Image ID: 0008m002

Image ID: 0008m003

Image ID: 0008m004

All Saints, Vange Church - Fragments of a wall painting, on the S chancel wall.

Image ID: 0008m005

Postcard Images

Image ID: 0008p001

All Saints, Vange Church - A copy of a picture displayed inside the church, depicting the
building in it's working life.

Image ID: 0008p002

All Saints, Vange Church - The nave, before restoration, taken from the West gallery.
Again, taken from a picture on display inside the church.

Image ID: 0008p003

All Saints, Vange Church - The chancel, before work commenced. Note the shattered E
window. Fragments of which have been used in the current E window. Again, taken
from a picture on display inside the church.

Image ID: 0008p004

All Saints, Vange Church - The West end, before repairs commenced. Taken
from a picture on display within the church.

Image ID: 0008p005

All Saints, Vange Church - The condition of the roof, before repairs commenced. Taken
from a picture on display within the church.

Image ID: 0008p006

Location Map

Essex Church ~ All Saints ~ Vange Church ~ All Saints, Vange ~ wedding ~ christening ~ baptism ~ mass

Website by Ontime Development.