The tall crocketted spire of All Saints’ Church towers above the neighbouring buildings. It is one of the oldest churches in Stamford and is mentioned in the Domesday book. However, nothing remains of this church.
The present building dates from the C13th. Two very rich wool merchants, John and William Browne whose parents had been buried in the church, paid for it to be restored and enlarged in the mid C15th. They were responsible for the tower, the clerestory in the nave, rebuilding the north aisle and the battlements. They also replaced the Early English lancet windows with bigger Perpendicular windows.
It is a large church, with blind arcading around the walls, battlements and pinnacles as well as the glorious spire. The inside of the church doesn’t quite live up to the outside. Arcades separate the nave and side aisles. The north arcade pillars are very plain although they are later than the fluted pillars of the south arcade. The pews are C19th.
The nave has a flat Perpendicular wooden roof supported on carved stone corbels and with gilded hanging bosses. A simple pointed arch leads into the chancel which has painted angels with gilded wings on the roof. The stone reredos behind the altar has a carving of the Last Supper.
The clerestory windows contain clear glass. The rest of the windows contain C19th stained glass. The window to the left of the great west window was made by Charles Kempe and has images of the patron saints of Lincoln, Peterborough, Lichfield and York Cathedrals.
The highly carved wood pulpit is C19th. The font is C15th. The painted statue of St Peter set in a niche at the back of the north aisle was given to the church in 1954. It is a reminder that All Saints’ Church was joined with that of St Peter in the C16th. St Peter’s Church is long gone.
All Saints’ Church is in the centre of Stamford and is open daily. There is no parking close by. The nearest post code is PE9 2AG and the grid reference is TF029072.
There are more pictures “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/lincolnshire/lincolnshire_five/stamford/allsaints/index.html
