All Saints, the heart of our village

All Saints

The South Porch

A brief history

All Saints, Great Addington has a Grade II* listing in the current list of buildings of Special Architectural and Historic Interest, HER Number 1040381. English Heritage Building ID 232306. It stands in a prominent position at the junction of Main Street, Woodford Road and Cranford Road in the Northamptonshire village of Great Addington, a civil parish with a population between 250 and 300. The current building has 12th Century origins with later additions. A major renovation occurred in the 19th Century.


The fabric of the church suffers from both erosion and corrosion. The lack of modern foundations means the building is subject to local earth movements. The effect of these gradual, but continuous changes can be overlooked for long periods, but eventually need to be addressed so that the building, which for over 800 years has been a feature of the village, will continue to stand proudly at the centre of the community. Day to day running costs, the Parish Share and emergency repairs are covered by collections, donations and covenants, mainly from, but not limited to, the congregation.

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We are currently at a point where major repairs need to be addressed.


Ther are no signs of the original Anglo-Saxon church that was in Great Addington

The building consists of a chancel 28 ft. by 14 ft. 4 in., with north chapel 15 ft. 3 in. by 10 ft., the nave is 39 ft. by 14 ft. 9 in., north and south aisles each 9 ft. 6 in wide, south porch, and west tower 11 ft. 4 in. by 12 ft., all these measurements being internal. The width across nave and aisles is 38 ft. 6 in.

The chapel (the chantry of Our Lady) is a continuation of the north aisle and covers the chancel about half its length. Built by Henry de Vere it is now used as an organ chamber. Further east is a vestry that was added in the 19th century, replacing an earlier structure.

The church is built of a mix of squared and irregular limestone and ironstone with lead roof. The interior is plastered. The chancel was restored in 1891, and the nave roof renewed.

There are traces of the 12th-century aisleless church in the large, rough plinths beneath the pillars of the nave. The main south doorway of that building, with a round arch carved with a row of chevron, and jamb-shafts with foliated capitals, is now the outer doorway of the south porch.

Henry de Vere

More detail

For a more detailed history of our parish church CLICK HERE