All Saints' Church Hartford - A brief guide & history

Introduction

The Parish Church of All Saints' Hartford was originally built in 1180, on the site of a Roman watch tower, in its picturesque setting on the banks of the River Ouse. The walls are of pebble and stone rubble with stone dressings, and tiled roofs. Much rebuilding has been done especially in 1861 and 1895. Christian worship in the village can be traced back even earlier to 1086, when the Domesday Book records a simple wooden church, which was probably situated in the old vicarage garden. A further extension was completed in 2003 to add reception and heating facilities at the church.

The Architecture

Most of the architectural descriptions in this booklet are based on those found in the Royal Commission of Historical Monuments, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Huntingdonshire. See appendix 1 for a glossary of some of the architectural items.

Nave

The Nave (37' x 17 1/2') has two arcades. The north arcade was built in c.1180, and has four bays with rounded arches of two orders. The outer order is square and the inner order is square chamfered. The west-end arch and the respond-corbels are restorations. The round columns have moulded capitals and bases. The south arcade built in c.1190 has four bays, with two-centre arches of two chamfered orders. The round columns have moulded capitals and restored bases. The west-end arch and the respond-corbels are restorations. The western arch and the chancel arch were rebuilt last century. In the Nave you will find amongst other things:

Chest: Made of oak, with moulded styles and rails, front with three panels carved with conventional flowers and carved frieze, moulded and panelled lid and sides and flat ball-feet, early 17th century.

Font: The square bowl of the font sits on a circular centre and dates from the 12th Century. The four side, angle shafts and the base belong to the 18th Century. This was moved to its present position in the centre of the west-end during restoration in 1895, from near the south door.

Pews: Made of oak, probably in 1861, there is a notice in the vestry about them, but this is unfortunately undated. The account of the 1895 restoration in the Parish of Hartford Minute book mentions that the seating in the chancel was changed and the rest repaired and cleaned.

Pulpit: In 1895 this was moved a few feet to leave the arch clear. The stair rail was erected in memory of Granville Robert Chandler and his wife Gladys, May 1983.

"Wands of Office": Provided in 1926 by Mr Newbold to mark the churchwardens' seats.
All Saints' Church Hartford
 
Chancel

The thickness of the north and east walls of the chancel indicate that they were built in the 12th Century. The chancel measures 211/4' x 131/2'. It has no ancient features except hollow chamfered splays and two 14th Century, centred rear arches to the east window, which were reset in 1861. The stained glass of this window was put in in 1867. The altar was raised in 1861. There is an inscription on the edge of the second step, unfortunately covered with carpet, which ends in
'MDCCCLXVIII'. The floor was laid with 6in Jerro-metallic Staffordshire red and black tiles. An unusual feature is that the 1861 Norman style, Chancel Arch is carved on both sides.

The Crucifer is 'In memory Ann Pryer 1853-1936' and the folding section on the oak altar rail is in memory of 'George William Knight, 1981, churchwarden for 34 years'.

North & South Aisles

With the exception of the east wall of the south aisle, most of the walls and windows were rebuilt during the 1861 restorations. The south doorway was reset with a modern round arch and c.1190 free shafts to the jambs, with simple moulded capitals and one with a chamfered abacus rounded at the angle. The doors are oak. The South Porch was built in 1861. The north aisle windows were presented by 'Rev. G. Cockburn Dickinson in Commemoration of the Queen's Jubilee 1887'.
 
Tower

The tower (11 ft. square) is built of stone rubble, with dressings of Barnack stone and other free stones. It was added to, or rebuilt in the late 15th Century and in July 1552 there were five bells. The tower is divided externally into four stages by string-courses and finished with an embattled parapet with crocketed pinnacles at the angles and a trefoiled ogee and crocketed arch over the middle crenel of each side, the merlons have brick filling. The two-centred tower-arch is of three chamfered orders, the two outer continuous and the inner resting on semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals. In the south wall is a doorway to the stair turret with chamfered jambs and four-centred arch. The west doorway, now blocked, has jambs and four-centred arch of two chamfered orders with a moulded label.

Five of the present bells are dated 1796 and one 1799 (see appendix 2), these were re-hung in 1895. One of the bells was apparently forfeited by King's Ripton for not burying a parishioner. On the north wall is a painted wooden notice informing us that:

MAY -12 - 1932 A PEAL OF BOB MINOR
5040 CHANGES IN 2 HOUR 42 MIN BEING 7.720 & CALLED DIFFERENTLY
H. BENJAMIN BULL 1) BEATRICE H. HIBBARD 4)
JOAN M. G. SHEPHERD 2) CHARLES PANNELL 5)
ERNEST PANNELL 3) JOHN SMART 6)

According to the Vestry meeting Minutes of 26th April 1939, the bells were again unsafe. The 2nd bell was cracked and the estimated cost of repair was £300. The chiming set was installed in 1949 in memory of those who died during the Second World War (see appendix 4).

In 1874, the clear glass was put into the large west window. It has three modern trefoiled lights in 15th Century casement-moulded jambs and four-centred arch with a moulded label and head-stops. The second stage has in the three walls a round-headed loop over which the string-course is mitred. The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of two pointed lights in a four-centred head with a moulded label and carved stops.

There is a carved wooden screen across the West End of the nave in memory of Patience Seeley who died in 1938. This was extended in 1995, to completely enclose the choir vestry, as a memorial to Peter & Jean Bath.

Charities

On the west wall of the tower are two giant wooden boards, which were cleaned and restored in 1978 by Mr. J. Dillistone.
These set out clearly the details of two charities:

In 1707, Bank's charity gave 40 shillings a year to the poor on St Bartholomew's day and New Year's day.

In 1716, Thong's charity was set up to provide £4 per annum for the minister and churchwardens. £16 was to be used to apprentice a boy who must be able to write, cast accounts, and repeat the catechism. £12 was to be given to him at the end of his apprenticeship.