Church of All Saints, Aisholt

All Saints Church in Aisholt, Somerset, England is the Anglican parish church for the ancient parish of Aisholt, now part of the Quantock Villages Benefice in the Diocese of Bath and Wells,[2] and lying in the Civil Parish of Spaxton.[3] It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]

All Saints Church
Location	Aisholt, Somerset, England
Coordinates	51°6′47.22″N 3°09′4.97″W
Built	14th century
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name	Church of All Saints
Designated	29 March 1963[1]
Reference no.	1178112
Location of All Saints Church in Somerset

History

The earliest part of the existing building is the irregular and asymmetrical chancel arch which dates from the 14th century. The remainder of the building appears to be 15th century with later alterations and some slight 'restoration' in the 1890s.[4]

Architecture

The stone building has a slate roof. It consists of a nave, chancel with a vestry and a south aisle with a porch. The two-stage west tower is supported by diagonal buttresses.[1]

Some features of the building are:

• A squint or piercing in the masonry to allow the altar to be viewed from the South aisle.[5]
• A 17th century hatchment or Coat of Arms painted on the wall above the Door.[1]
• A medieval parish chest cut from a single log.[6]
• A piscina in the chancel[1]
• A 15th century octagonal font[1]

Notable people

The diarist William Holland acted as curate in the church in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Notable people who have worshipped in Aisholt church include :

• The poet Henry Newbolt who owned The Old Schoolhouse at the bottom of the valley.[7][8]
• A plaque in the church commemorates the educationalist Olive Willis.[9]
• Poet and librettist Anne Ridler who was a pupil of Olive Willis at Downe House.[10]
• Theologian, poet, novelist, occultist and Inkling Charles Williams.[10]

Trivia

The Church appeared in a Coleridge-themed pop video for Swing out Sister.[11]

See also

• List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells

References

1. Historic England. "Church of All Saints, Aisholt (1178112)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
2. "All Saints, Aisholt". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
3. "Welcome". All Saints Church Aisholt. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
4. R W Dunning, C R Elrington (Editors), A P Baggs, M C Siraut (1992). "Aisholt: Church". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 6: Andersfield, Cannington, and North Petherton Hundreds (Bridgwater and neighbouring parishes). Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 18 July 2013.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Wade, G. W.; Wade, J. H. (1926). Somerset. Methuen Publishing. p. 32. OCLC 500472869.
6. "Aisholt". Quantock Online. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
7. "Aisholt". Quantock Hills. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
8. "Aisholt". Thankful Villages. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
9. "Aisholt Parish Magazine" (PDF). Aisholt. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
10. Ridler, Anne (2004). Memoirs. Oxford: Perpetua Press. ISBN 9781870882187.
11. "Coleridge 80s Music Vid". The Coleridge Way Companion. Retrieved 16 September 2017.