All Saints Church Cuddesdon
All Saints was erected in about 1180. The original church was a large cruciform building without aisles. The mouldings on the tower arch and the west door, as well as the door itself, are fine examples of this late Norman work. The font is also Norman, but rather plainer. Remnants of the original Norman buttresses and clerestory can be seen high up in the north and south aisles, and also on the exterior. The door on the tower staircase dates from the foundation of the church, and might possibly indicate the presence of a monastic quire and explain the length of the chancel – the church may have been intended as a small priory of Abingdon Abbey.
Soon after the establishment of the vicarage the aisles were built, probably by punching through the original walls as at nearby Dorchester Abbey. The porches, as well as the lancets in the south and west walls, probably date from this period. In about 1350 the low aisles roofs were raised, evidence for which is still clearly visible on the exterior west wall. Traces of medieval painting can be seen in the blocked Norman doorway of the north transept (behind the organ). The chancel was repaired in the late fourteenth century, windows were added first in the early seventeenth century and more substantial windows in the first Victorian restoration.
After the dissolution of the monasteries the church quickly decayed, but was restored in the early 1600s, shortly before the construction of the Bishop’s palace. Many of the pews date from 1630 – they were constructed only after a long dispute between the vicar and the parishioners from Wheatley. Bishop Bancroft had a new straight-headed window put in the south transept, which was later replaced. He was buried under the south wall in 1640. In 1849 the chancel was extensively restored by Benjamin Ferrey. He removed the memorial tablets to the south transept, dismantled the lathe and plaster ceiling and added memorial windows to the bishops of Oxford, together with the rather oversized woodwork. The chancel gained the appearance (which it still has) of the Bishop’s private chapel.
G. E. Street, the diocesan architect, who shortly afterwards built the college, carried out a second wave of restoration from 1851-3, replacing the wooden ringing chamber with the groined vault in the crossing. The present pulpit was carved by Bishop Stubbs’ daughter, Katherine, in 1895 to a design by C. E. Kempe. A new gothic altar was built by Street which has since been modified twice in accordance with the latest ecclesiastical fashion. The riddle posts were added by F. G. Howard in 1921, and were lengthened in 1933. In 1931 the south transept was partially converted into a Lady Chapel.. Plans for an elaborate organ gallery at the west end were made, but never carried out. After a succession of electric organs the current pipe instrument made by Henry Willis was bought from Christ Church cathedral in 1982.
You are looking for a small camouflaged Cache, containing log, pencil, and GC welcome notes. Please be careful when replacing so as not to lose the Cache. This is an easy Cache & Dash, located in a residential road, surrounded by houses, and open to view by passing muggles, so stealth needed for retrieval. I have informed the closest householder about the proximity of the Cache, but as he is a Dartmoor Letterbox veteran, there is no problem with Cachers looking weird from his window. Parking is easy alongside the green.
Congratulations to Daffodilbob on a finally successful FTF.
**************************************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
*************************************