Welcome to Kirtling Church

Welcome to All Saints’ church, where the Christian message of love, hope and renewal has been proclaimed for more than 1000 years. This is one of the "Little Pilgrimage" churches where we hope you will find peace in its lovely setting and time for contemplation and prayer.

Worship

Our service plan for each month can be found at This month’s services. We are members of the 1662 Prayer Book Society and use the Book of Common Prayer (BCP).

History of All Saints

The church of All Saints is an ancient building of flint dressings, chiefly in the Norman style. The earliest surviving features are from the Norman period, although it is most probable that there was a church here in the Anglo-Saxon period.

The Norman church had a cruciform plan, with a central tower in front of the present chancel arch, north and south transepts, a chancel (half the length of the present one) and a nave occupying roughly the same area as today. At that time there were neither side aisles nor a western tower.

The south side of the Norman nave retains a round-headed lancet window from c.1080 - 1100 and a magnificent doorway c.1170, by which visitors enter the church.

This lavishly decorated doorway with pairs of flanking columns and three semi-circular mouldings shows 'Christ in Glory', seated on a rainbow in judgement with one hand on a book and the other raised in blessing. A more elaborate version of this is over the Prior's door at Ely Cathedral. There are parallels with the two bearded head-supports at Great Bradley, where the de Tony family, lords of the manor here from 1103 - 1309, were also lords. The 12th century ironwork has been reset on the wooden door.

The 'footprint' of the central tower, very much like that at nearby Ousden, is marked by the line of the chancel arch and the two side arches at the east end of the nave. The side transepts, or chapels, were to the north and south of these latter arches.

The transepts were about two-thirds the width of the present north chapel and the position of the outer walls can be seen outside. The south transept was incorporated into the new south aisle in the 16th century.

Visiting All Saints

The church is open during the day, and entries in our visitors’ book show that we have visits from all over the world.  An A4 sheet is available for you when you walk round the church providing information as you go.

Friends of All Saints’ Church

This is an organisation supporting the church, which meets once a year in the church, with an organised speaker, covering topics such as the history of the church, a specific feature within the church or an organ recital.