Winthorpe
All Saints

History

‘Wimuntorp’ is included in Domesday Book but without mention of any church. A church was certainly established by the mid-12th century, since sometime before 1166 the church of Winthorpe was granted by Walter de Mandeville as part of the initial endowment for the establishment of an Augustinian Priory at Elsham in Lincolnshire.

On 21 April 1283 there is a record of one Richard de Thistletone, priest, being instituted to the church by presentation of the Elsham Priory; in 1283 there was a testimonial as to his good character as dean of Newark. In 1291 the church was valued at £10 for the ecclesiastical tax of Pope Nicholas IV, where it was also recorded that the church paid an annual pension of 6s. to Elsham Priory.

However, an undated impropriation to Thurgarton Priory of the churches of Sutton [in Ashfield], Granby, Coates, Tithby, Winthorpe, Hoveringham, Hawksworth, and Keyworth is inserted between two leaves of the register of Archbishop Walter Giffard (1266-1279), in a 17th century hand. It is possibly the unidentified act of some previous archbishop.

At the beginning of the fourteenth century there was a dispute over the advowson. On 1 May 1302, the archbishop of York contested Elsham Priory’s presentation of one Adam de Neusum to the church, and refused their explanation that they had not received his missive concerning a papal indulgence that had been published the previous year.

Archbishop Thomas of Corbridge collated one Thomas de Broghton to the living, and inhibited the priory from doing anything to hinder the decision.

Apparently Broghton was the chosen candidate of the king, and on 29 January 1303 the archbishop was advised that Elsham Priory had recovered the presentation of the church of St Saviour – to whom the church of Winthorpe was dedicated in this period – against the crown in a legal challenge.

Therefore, on 15 July 1303 the priory’s candidate, Adam de Neusam presented himself for ordination to the church, and after submitting to the archbishop, it was decided that Thomas de Broghton should have the church whilst Adam de Neusum should be provided with a yearly pension of 40s. from the church until provided with a benefice of his own. In 1341, the church of Winthorpe was valued at 15 marks 6s. and held a ninth of sheaves, fleeces and lambs to the annual value of 10 marks 4s., altar dues worth 5 marks a year, and a tithe of hay valued at 6 marks. In 1428, the church was valued 15 marks, and owed a subsidy of 20s. for the purposes of taxation under Henry VI.

During a visitation in 1559, it was reported that there was no rector or curate serving at the church, and fruits of the living were sequestered. In the same year, churchwardens of Winthorpe reported to the Commissioners of Elizabeth I on 24 August 1559 that the chancel of their church was uncovered and without a roof. A general order was subsequently issued for the deanery of Newark that parsons should devote a fifth of their benefices for the full repair of their chancels. Towards the end of the century, in 1594, a rector of Winthorpe by the name of Roger Bacon was temporarily suspended from office for conducting an irregular marriage.

By the mid-17th century, the church had fallen into serious disrepair, as indicated by a visitation return in 1638. Here it was reported that the chancel windows were ‘almost doubled up with stone and morter’, whilst problems with the chancel roof persisted and the church was found to be ‘open in many parts’. The upper end of the chancel floor, between the east wall and the rail, was unpaved, and the rest of the chancel was paved unevenly. The communion table was ‘very old and rotten’, as were the two doors to the church, whilst the stalls in the church were ‘indecent and un-uniform and not boarded nor paved underfoot’. The north of the church was in need of pointing. The belfry was found to be ‘full of rubbish’, the font lacking a decent cover, and the churchyard gate insufficient. The sole communion book in the church was found to be defective.

During the Civil War in March 1644, William Holles was slain at Muskham Bridge and his cousin, Sir Gervase Holles, recovered his body and carried it to Winthorpe. He was buried in the church, and Gervase declared his intention to erect a monument commemorating his cousin ’if some day God shall grant peace’, although the intention was never put into effect.

In 1743 a full account of the church and parish was provided by the rector, Dr Bernard Wilson, who had been instituted on 18 November 1719. The parish contained 39 families, alongside one non-conformist who was an Anabaptist. There was no licenced or other meeting house, nor any public or charity school, alms house, hospital or other charitable endowment in the parish. A ‘close’ to the value of £4 10s. a year was left for the repair of the church, whilst land to the annual value of £8 that had been left for the benefit of poor. The churchwarden, overseer and the rector managed these benefactions. The rector reported that he did not reside at the benefice but at his other cure at Newark. There was no residing curate, and the religious duties were shared by the rector and a curate residing at Newark who was not licenced and paid five guineas every half-year by the rector to settle an allowance of 5s. every Sunday.

Grimm's drawing of
the church in 1773

The rector declared no knowledge of any churchgoer who was not baptised or, being of competent age, not confirmed. The public service was read on holy days and performed every Lord’s day, and the rector pointedly added that the value of the living was not such to afford the maintenance of a residing curate to perform the service more frequently. The rector catechised at Winthorpe church at Lent, although it was reported that the parishioners did not send their children and servants for instruction.

The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered three times a year, with 20 communicants in the parish, 16 of whom had communicated the previous Easter. Open and timely warning of the sacrament was issued, although the rector also noted that the parishioners did not send their names to him. The sacrament had not been refused to anyone.

In 1764, Dr Wilson was still the rector when Archbishop Drummond visited the county. He recorded that there were twenty families in the village, all Church of England, no school or almshouses, and the curate, Mr Walker, who was allowed £30 p.a. by Wilson, lived in Newark, but took all the services.

The church in 1807

In 1778, the church was rebuilt in brick with the exception of the south wall.

In 1823 H. Hage, in a pamphlet now to be found in the Nottinghamshire Information Index, wrote that the tower was made of brick with cornices of stone and surmounted with a ‘handsome’ stone balustrade, bearing at each corner an ‘elegant’ urn. A stone tablet, about half way up the tower, bore an inscription recording the rebuilding of the steeple in 1779; the first stone was laid on 15 April by Roger Pocklington, junior of Winthorpe.

The interior was described as being of ‘very singular construction’ with its roofing being ‘uncommonly low’. In the chancel was a mural monument to the memory of Dr Robert Taylor, the founder of Winthorpe Hall. Apparently, Taylor had wished his remains to be interred at Winthorpe, but because of financial difficulties, he was originally interred in South Audley Chapel, London, before his remains were relocated to Winthorpe in 1778.

In 1832 White’s Trade Directory described the church as a ‘neat small structure’ which stood on the highest part of the village, ‘with a chancel and tower, in which there were three bells’.

In 1851 the parish comprised 680 acres and contained a population of 243 with a roughly equal number of males and females. The church could accommodate 130, with 50 spaces being free. The total congregation on a Sunday was 95, of whom 35 were Sunday scholars.

Sometime after this it seems likely that the church, although only rebuilt in brick just over a hundred years previously, had become dilapidated to the point where it needed to be replaced.

An iron church was erected as a temporary replacement, while the church was demolished, and the foundation stone for a new church was laid on All Saints’ Day 1886 by Sir Henry Bromley.

The church from
the south-west

This new church, which still serves the parish today, is considerably larger than the previous building but was constructed to follow the lines, in part, of the structure that it replaced. The nave and chancel of the new church occupy the same position as those of the old church.

The west tower of the previous structure has been replaced by a baptistery however, and the new tower, north aisle, organ chamber, vestry, and east end of the chancel occupy new ground.

The new building was made almost entirely of red brick, with Ancaster stone being used for the window copings and moulded string courses externally, whilst internally red Mansfield stone was prominently employed.

The tower, surmounted by a brick spire, rises to a height of around 105 feet, and occupies a position at the north-west corner of the building with the lower part of the tower forming the porch and entrance to the church.

From the porch a winding staircase leads up to the belfry, where two bells, the gift of a certain Mr and Mrs Branston, were added to the three existing bells, with the old bells having been recast by John Warner of Cripplegate, London.

Once it was open the iron church was dismantled, and transported to Budby where it was erected, at the expense of Earl Manvers, who presented it to the village. It has now been demolished.

The new church at Winthorpe was consecrated on 19 June 1888 by the Bishop of Lincoln. The Southwell Diocesan Magazine reported that the village was gaily decorated, and a great interest was felt for the event. The church, it was remarked, ‘occupies a commanding position on the site of the old edifice, and gives additional beauty to the picturesque entrance to Winthorpe, which is one of the prettiest villages in the county. Its tall spire may be seen for miles around.’ It was also reported that a crowded congregation attended the consecration service, and that the churchwarden had found it difficult to provide seats to all those who desired to gain admission. The doors of the church had been opened at 10.30, and the church was filled to capacity before 11.00 when the procession entered at the west door headed by the churchwardens.

The cross-bearer was Mr Chacey, sacristan of St Mary’s Bathwick, Bath, who was followed by the choir and a long procession of clergy ended by the Rev. Edward Handley, rector of Winthorpe, the Rev. W. C. Leeper, curate-in-charge, the Archdeacon of Nottingham, the bishop’s chaplain, and the Bishop of Lincoln. As the procession passed up the nave, the hymn ‘All people that on earth do dwell’ was ‘heartily sung’. When the bishop had taken his seat the rector read the petition of consecration, after which the sentence of consecration was read by Mr J. Watson, registrar, and signed by the bishop.

It was also reported that the church had obtained a ‘much desired’ rectory house. A house in the possession of Mr John Manuel of Sheffield, was purchased for the purpose at a cost of £1,200. Queen Anne’s Bounty Office made a grant of £400 towards the cost and around £600 had been raised by subscriptions.

The church was visited by Edwyn Hoskins, Bishop of Southwell, at 6.30 pm on 10 February 1912. The rector at this time was C. W. H. Griffiths, instituted in 1895. The net annual value of the benefice was £184, and the population of the parish in 1911 was 254, roughly the same as it had been in 1851. The church could accommodate 250 people, and 29 individuals were enrolled in Sunday School. In the year ending 30 September 1912 there had been four baptisms and four confirmations.

In 1929 a memorial was erected to the memory of E. Allwood, with a dedication held at evensong, 6 October.

A couple of years later, in 1931, the Southwell Diocesan Magazine reported that Winthorpe was a parish where it was considered a ‘matter of pious duty’ to care for the churchyard, and a special fund existed for expenditure on its upkeep. The friends and relations of those laid to rest in ‘God’s Acre’ were asked to be subscribers. The same article also reported that the design of the ‘St Hugh’ window in the church had been exhibited at the previous year’s royal academy.

On the eve of the Second World War, September 1939, Winthorpe was joined with the neighbouring parishes of Holme and Langford, and the Winthorpe Mothers Union ‘generously offered to pay for the installation of electric light in the church’.

On 10 June 1988 the South Notts Advertiser ran an article to mark the centenary of Winthorpe church, which was described as ‘one of the most unusual churches in Nottinghamshire having been built from Cafferata red brick, 'a material that was more commonly used to build churches in the suburbs of south London'. The Rev. Herbert Langford, rector of Winthorpe, reportedly stated 'It is totally out of character in the Nottinghamshire countryside'. To mark the centenary on 19 June evensong was taken by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt. Rev. Robert Hardy, since the new bishop of Southwell did not take office until after the centenary.

The article also reported a local rumour that during the Civil War Oliver Cromwell had destroyed the church. This rumour may have originated from an article in the Newark Advertiser in 1888 which reported that the church was demolished in the Civil War and that a redoubt was built on the site. However, while the church was severely damaged in 1645 and 1646 when the village of Winthorpe was occupied by Parliamentarians, whether or not it was deliberately destroyed remains uncertain. Either way, the Parliamentarian force besieging Newark was led by Sir John Meldrum, not Oliver Cromwell.