Relhan Collection : 163 Harston church. View from NE

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>All Saints’ C11 ground plan is influenced by the original church given by Sheriff Picot to Barnwell Priory but the building is now basically C15, with rebuilding probably accomplished by 1450. Armorial glass commemorating John, Lord Tiptoft's, marriage to Joyce Charlton, dated 1449, in E window of N aisle was destroyed by Dowsing in 1644, but a few fragments remain. Much C19 restoration was undertaken after it fell into neglect from the C16 onwards. The church was recorded as decaying by 1554 and in 1590s glass and tiles had been lost from the chancel which became unusable despite repairs. Later the chancel was demolished by Jesus College in 1805 and replaced with a shorter one with plainer round-headed windows, as shown by Relhan.This was itself replaced with a Gothic chancel 1853-4 by JR Brandon and R Ritchie. The nave roof was repaired in mid C19, and there was further restoration work 1870, 1883 and 1890. These C19 restorations were faithful to the original however, and, apart from the chancel, the overall appearance today is remarkably similar to Relhan’s view. The squat tower, nave, aisles and even porch are still crenellated, windows look much the same except the c.1805 chancel has been rebuilt with its Gothic S window again, and Relhan’s roofless porch has been rebuilt with a lower pitched roof but is still crenellated. The churchyard still has many C18 gravestones. The 2 small gravestones next to the chancel may be ones now propped against the chancel while repairs are in progress (2020) and there are now 3 small C18 stones where Relhan shows 2. Unusually, Relhan shows a woman and child outside the church. </p><p>Bell 2013; Bradley and Pevsner 2014; VCH 1982 </p></p>