All Saints Church
Church Road
Wilstead
telephone 01234 261477
info@elstow-abbey.org.uk
All Saints, Wilstead, Past and Present
14th century The Church was built
15th century Tomb – with brass cover
1518 A bell donated to the tower peal
1598 The Tompson Memorial
1707 Four bells in the Tower, the tenor bell reported as cracked
1734 The porch was repaired
1742 The tower fell down
1761 A royal coat of arms painted in church
1765 The Ten Commandments painted at the east end
1783 A bell was re-cast
1826 The small bell was re-cast and a new font basin ordered
1827 The west end was described as being very dilapidated
1846-7 Church was repaired and re-decorated
1850 The church was surveyed prior to the re-building of the new stone tower
1850 The tower was completed and dedicated on 1st November – cost £730.
Also the old vicarage was enlarged
1872-3 Chancel and porch rebuilt. Organ chamber (now vesting area) built.
Money donated by Lord Thynne and William Layton Lownes of
Church Farm
1873 The Organ installed into the new chamber
1895 Wooden kneelers made
1891 New oil lamps installed
1895 The funeral cart made
1898 The clock installed for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
1899 The east end of the church underpinned
1908 Chancel and south aisle repaired
1920 The memorial window for WWI in place
1926-7 The Coley windows installed – north side
1930 The Coley windows installed – south side
1953 New altar rails and pulpit panels fitted
1965 Repairs to church – organ moved to its present site
1975 The Chapter House built – known as The Thyne Room.
Dedicated All Saints Eve
1980 St Paul's, Littleworth cleared
1985 The Gambriel window (south side) dedicated
1990 Cox window panel (south side) installed
1992 June – church redecorated
1993 Parish Burial Ground consecrated
1994 The Church was re-carpeted. Also purchase of green, purple and
red altar frontals and vestments
2000 Nave floor renewed
2001 White altar frontal/vestments dedicated
2002 Kneeler project began
2003 Improvements to the organ
Times of Services
Church services are at 11am every Sunday.
There are weddings and baptisms by arrangement.
Wilstead All Saints Timeline
1085 Roughly half of Wilshamstead, three hides, was owned by Countess Judith, niece of King William the Conqueror, in 1086, who also owned neighbouring Elstow. Her manor was called Wilshamstead, or Winessamestede, and the nuns of Elstow Abbey held it from the Countess; Judith had founded the abbey. Records from the Doomsday Survey show Wilstead having a total of sixteen villagers, twenty-three smallholders and two slaves. This suggests a total population of over one hundred and sixty people, making it a very large population for the date.
1235 First record of a vicar instituted at Wilshamstead/Wilstead. (Richard de Leicester, chaplain): Likely, a church present in the village long before this time
1340 South Door is part of the early construction, so is the South Arcade with its rounded capitals. The Nave and the South Aisle probably share this date. A Corner =Piscina (for washing communion plate) can be found at the East End of the South Aisle.
1400's Evidence of new building and refurbishment. See the North Arcade and North Aisle. The roofs of both Aisles and the Nave date from this time as well as the South Windows.
1430 A brass of William Carbrok (priest) is found in the North Aisle. Records from the Diocese of Lincoln are incomplete for this period, no record can be found.
1518 Record of a bell donated to the tower peal
1598 The Tompson Memorial dedicated to William Tompson who in 1595 founded Wilshamstead Charities.
1707 Record of four bells in the tower, one cracked.
1734 Record of a porch repair.
1742 The Medieval Tower collapsed. The parish register [P22/1/3] states: “Memorandum. The Tower fell down on Sunday night April 11 1742 at half an hour after 9”.
1747 Record of construction of a new Communion Rail
1761 Record of Royal Coat of Arms painted in church.
1765 Record of Ten Commandments painted at the East End.
1783 Record of a bell re-cast.
1826 Record of a small bell re-cast and a new font basin ordered.
1827 Record of the West End described as very dilapidated.
1846-1847 Record of church repair and re-decoration.
1850 Record of survey prior to re-building of new Stone Tower
1851 Wooden replacement Belfry demolished and new Tower completed and dedicated on 1st November at a cost of £730. Walter Parker of Thrapston [Northamptonshire] won the contract. The new tower had a battlemented parapet with gargoyles at the angles, reflecting the skill of Thomas Smith's craftsmen who were possibly copying medieval models.
1872-1873 Chancel, North Vestry and South Porch dismantled and rebuilt. The architects were A. W. Blomfield (Chancel) and Hertford architect Thomas Smith. The medieval chancel arch was removed and the chancel was entirely rebuilt and longer than before. A Sedile (resting seat) can be found in the South Wall of the Chancel. The chancel east window was filled with stained glass paid for by Rev. Lord John Thynne, owner of the Haynes Park Estate and William Layton Lownes of Church Farm. Thynne also paid for a reredos ( a painting or board behind the altar). A new organ was obtained in 1873.
1887 Record of a new Heating System installed
1891 Record of purchase of new Oil Lamps
1895 Record of new Wooden Kneelers
1896 Funeral Car (Bier) made. It is wide enough and long enough to hold a coffin; the wheels (originally iron-shod, later with rubber tyres) allowed the coffin to be met at the church gate and moved with dignity into the church for the funeral and thence to a churchyard grave. This can be found in the South Aisle.
1898 Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Clock installed in the tower
1900 The new chancel soon began to sink at the east, and became detached from the nave. Attempts were made to remedy the situation by underpinning the chancel walls and jacking up the roof, fastening it to the nave wall with a large bolt.
1907 More repairs to the chancel roof were needed
1920 World War 1 Memorial Window installed
1926-1927 Coley Window and Craig window installed by John Hall and Sons -North wall
1930 Coley Window installed – South wall
1935 In August, the church had become unsafe, and was closed to the parishioners, who used part of the school that was made available.
1936 In May, a meeting between the Archdeacon of Bedford, the churchwardens and Professor A. E. Richardson, three possibilities were put forward. Either, to rebuild a part of the church at a cost of £2000, to pull down the chancel and keep the nave only, costing £1000, or to pull down the entire church and build a smaller one at a cost of at least £3000.
1937 On Wednesday 2 June, the restored building the building was reopened by the suffragan Bishop of Bedford, at a cost of £1500. The Nave and South aisle retaining 15th century roofs.
1937 South aisle retained 15th century carved bosses, nave retained figures of apostles to corbels, angels to intermediates, and carved bosses.
1953 New communion rails were provided and oak panels added to the pulpit.
1961 Oil-fired heating introduced. (Replaced 1971-1973)
1965 Repairs carried out. Organ moved adjacent to Bell Tower. Roof underwent considerable repair. Stained glass windows repaired.
1975 Kitchen facilities and meeting rooms known as the Chapter House/Thynne Room were added on the North side of church. Dedicated on All Saint's Eve.
1985 The Gambriel window dedicated (South wall).
1990 Cox window panel installed (South wall).
1992 Record of church re-decoration.
1993 Parish Burial Ground consecrated. (adjacent to Church graveyard).
2000 Nave floor renewed.
2002 Hassocks (Kneeler) project commenced.
2005 Hassocks (Kneelers) dedicated.
2006 The Parish Funeral Car (Bier) restored.
2007 Record of improvements to Chapter House facilities.
2013 Fire door and new windows added to Chapter House.
2014 Repair to Vestry Roof.
2015 Church Clock repaired.
2018 New pipework fitted to Church Heating System.
2019 Theft of lead from Vestry Roof. Solar Panels and Roof Alarm fitted. Chapter House heaters repaired. Serious cracks reported in Chapter House.
2020 Church Closed. Covid '19 restrictions.
2022 Chapter House requiring urgent repairs.
2025 “Hebrews Café” pastoral project opens in re-ordered Narthex.
2025 Chapter House kitchen ceiling collapse due to water ingress.