all saints' church, basingstoke
The BUILDUNG
All Saints was built during World War One taking just two years to build, and costing £17,168. The church was paid for by a wealthy clergyman living nearby, The Revd Alexander Titley Hall, and opened in 1917. The church was designed by Temple Moore a well known architect who usually tried to make his churches look as if they were older than they really were, ideally dating back to the Middle Ages. All Saints is built of brick, but the outside is faced entirely in Chilmark stone. The architectural style could be described as late Gothic Revival. (See our History page for more details)
From the outside All Saints looks strong, tall, and most people think looks bigger than it really is. Moore often used clever visual tricks to make things look bigger, older, further away, or more expensive than they really were.
Inside the visual focus is the High Altar, but overall the church seems lofty, bright, and pleasingly proportioned. There are chairs rather than pews, most of the woodwork is matching antique oak, and the building and furnishings are in the gothic style throughout. The atmosphere of services is enhanced by the tone of the pipe organ.
In keeping with Gothic fashion and medieval practice the chancel and sanctuary, the parts closest to the High Altar, are more decorated, with painted ceilings, richly decorated reredos and highly detailed stained glass. The contrast with the west end of the church, around the font, is striking but works well. Here the limestone floors, Chilmark stone walls, and the golden light from the east window make for plainer, cleaner lines.
Heritage Open Days give people the chance to celebrate their heritage, community and history. All Saints’ Church in Basingstoke, has regularly opened its doors during the national Heritage Open Days event for people to come and visit and learn a little about the rich history of the church and the church bells that have been rung for decades.
The accompanying promotional video was produced for the Open Days event in 2019.