Our buildings - more information

The following information is taken from our visitor guide, prepared in January 2005 by John Swingler, and is based on research carried out in the 1980's by Mary Cleare and Fr Nicholas Cranfield, assistant Curate 1986-89. 

In the 1860’s the population of the area known as Ascot Heath had reached around 1,350. It was dotted with a few Victorian villas, mansions, often seats of minor nobility, and surrounded on the one hand by the farms and  estates of local gentry, and on the other by the many sub-divisions of Windsor Forest belonging to the Crown.

The Royal Kennels, the Royal Nursery (plants for royal gardens) and the London and Ascot Convalescent Hospital, (Ascot Heath was noted for its air and bracing climate) were prominent local establishments.

The racecourse, which is very close to the church, set up in Queen Anne’s time, some hundred years earlier, had, with Queen Victoria’s patronage, grown in popularity.  Apart from those working there and on the land, given the number of villas and mansions, local people were mainly employed as domestic servants, tradesmen and craftsmen.

Prior to the building of All Saints’, the nearest church was St. Peter’s at Cranbourne, 3 miles away, a tidy trek for those without carriages, and it appears that the then Vicar of Cranbourne had a big hand in getting a new church built here at Ascot. 

Work began on All Saints’ in 1863 and was completed in 1864.  The Lord Bishop of Oxford, Bishop Wilberforce, consecrated the new church on May 26^th of that year.  At the time, this area was part of the ecclesiastical parish of Cranbourne but with the advent of the new Church, in March 1865, an ecclesiastical parish of Ascot Heath was formed from parts of the civil parishes of Sunninghill and Winkfield.

All Saints’ was designed by a Mr. T.H. Rushforth and built by a local builder, Joseph Norris. Initially, it cost £2200 to build, most of which was contributed voluntarily. Later additions: the porch by the main entrance, a Parsonage, eventually Rectories, added to the cost.  The design provided for seating for 246 persons - 181 designated as free pews. The church was enlarged in 1870 to provide for a north aisle, which now leads into the choir vestry, added around 1890.

You enter the Church through the West Porch, the low flat roofed projection built in between the west end buttresses, in front of the main entrance.  It was added in 1870 and is lit by three single lancet windows of clear glass.  The main door into the church has a beautiful arch with recessed lines of scrollwork, leaves and flowers, carved in the stonework. Around the line of the arch is the inscription

"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord"

and over the interior of the door is inscribed

"This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven"

Once inside you will be struck by the loftiness of the nave, and how the light red brickwork with its white brick bands and facings adds an effect of solemnity and grace to the interior.  One’s eye is also drawn to the beauty of the window above the altar and the beautifully decorated ceilings of the chancel, restored in the 1980’s.

Turn around and above the main door you will notice the Christus Rex, a beautiful cross with a figure of Christ the King – given by his family in memory of the  Revd. H.K. Hampshire, an assistant priest from 1905/ 09.  The colourful windows above the cross (by Clayton and Bell), were presented to the church by Lord Crewe in memory of Admiral Greville.

The Resurrection, depicted in the rose window, is surrounded by eight angels, whilst the lancet on the left depicts Christ appearing to Thomas; Peter walking on the water; and the raising of  Jairus' daughter. The lancet on the right, shows the Risen Lord appearing to Mary Magdalen; the Risen Lord appearing to the Disciples; and the raising of Lazarus. At the bottom of the windows, not easy to read, are the inscriptions

“Then are they glad because they are at rest and so he bringeth them into heaven where they would be"     and

"0 that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men”.

Before moving to the North Aisle, you may wish to admire the two tall brass candlesticks given in memory of Col. Charles John Eden (d.1896.) standing at the entry to the nave.

On left of the nave is the north aisle.  It has a sloping open beam roof and between and around the windows are wall paintings added between 1892 and 1894. The first illustrates the parable of The Sower, the second that of The Good Samaritan.  Alongside are four Angels playing instruments.

At the end of the aisle is the door leading to the choir vestry. Alongside the nearby alcove, which houses a crib at Christmas, are two brasses, one commemorates Mr. W. Millard, choir-master and organist for 37 years and schoolmaster at Ascot Heath School for 44 years.

The second, on the other side of the alcove and close to the pulpit, is a richly decorated and enameled brass plaque to Baron Huddleston and his wife Lady Diana de Vere Huddleston, a worshipper here until his death in 1890. He was the last holder of the very ancient office of Baron of the Exchequer. Below is a memorial to Lady Diana's mother: Elizabeth Catherine (d.1893), wife first of the ninth Duke of St. Albans and then of the tenth Viscount Falkland, formerly Governor of Bombay.  It is inscribed –

"Her children raise her up and call her blessed and her husband also, and he praiseth her 

Set on four short marble columns, the pulpit is situated at the end of the nave adjacent to the foot of the chancel arch. The stonework is adorned with delicately and sensitively carved figures.

In 1894 a beautiful figure of an Angel playing a harp was painted on the  face of the pillar supporting the pulpit, in memory of Clarice Hewitt Fearn.