All Saints, Kempston, Bedfordshire
Description
The church of All Saints, standing near the banks of the river Ouse, about a mile from the largest part of the village, is a building of stone, in the Norman and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and a western tower of Norman date, containing 6 bells, two of which were cast in 1603 and 1619 respectively: in 1893 three were re-cast and a treble added by Walter G. H. Harter esq. of The Bury: the roof of the porch, which is stone groined, was opened and cleaned in the year 1838, and an external staircase was built in the year 1837: in repairing the floor of the porch in 1840, a monumental slab, bearing a remarkably formed cross, was discovered, which is now placed outside, against the west wall: three feet below this slab a skeleton was met with, but there was no trace of any coffin: the Decorated east window was restored and filled with stained glass, as a memorial to N. Fitzpatrick M.D. his wife and daughter; the family are interred in a mausoleum by the north wall: the chancel possesses some beautifully carved oak benches, ornamented with poppy heads, and a handsome bench, the gift of the Rev. Henry Clutterbuck, patron and vicar from 1835: the font is Decorated, the sides having canopies, alternately surmounting mutilated figures: in 1901 it was set on a stone base and a new cover presented by Mrs. T. H. Barnard: there are no monumental remains of interest, except a memorial to the "seven sones" and ten daughters of William Carter, placed here by direction of his wife, Marie, in 1605: two panels from the rood-screen, preserved for some time in the vestry, exhibit ancient paintings of "God presenting Eve to Adam," the "Temptation," "God Pronouncing the Curse," and the "Expulsion from Paradise;" these have now been cleaned, glazed and framed and hang on either side of the arch at the west end of the church: there is also an ancient "Book of Homeleys:" in 1900-1 the church was restored, when the floor was lowered to its original level, the gallery taken down, and an organ loft constructed over the tower arch: the chancel roof panelled and other works carried out at a total cost of about £1,350: at the same time the rood loft was restored by Mrs. S. Carpenter in memory of her husband, and an oak chancel screen presented.
The church of St. John, a chapel of ease to the parish church, erected in 1868 at a cost of about £2,400, is a building of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave and a turret containing one bell: the east window is a memorial: the church is was by the military from the barrack's, the vicar being chaplain to the forces here.
The church of St. Stephen, an iron building, in Spring road, was built in 1888, and will seat about 250 persons.
There is a Bunyan Meeting (Congregational), Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1570.