All Saints' Parish Church Leamington Spa

As one of England's largest parish churches, All Saints rivals many cathedrals in size. With its stunning gothic-style architecture, the eminent art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner described it as "a church as out of the ordinary for scale as for style". The Domesday Book of 1086 reports that there was a priest present in "Lamintone", (an old name for Leamington) although there is no specific mention of a church. The earliest record of one was from the 12th century when Leamington was still a tiny hamlet in the parish of Leek Wootton. A west tower was added in the 14th century whilst a south porch was added in the 18th century. The first spring (of many that made Leamington famous) was located just outside the main entrance of the church of land owned by the Earl of Aylesford. It was in 1842 that the church began to take its current form and shape, overseen by the Rev John Craig. By this time the church was no longer in open fields just to the north of a hamlet, but was in the centre of a bustling spa town (two of Leamington's town founders, Benjamin Satchwell and William Abbotts are buried in the churchyard). The last major works to take place to the church were from 1898–1902, when two western bays to the nave and a south western bell tower were added by the eminent Victorian architect Sir Arthur Blomfield. The seating capacity was increased to around 2000. In 1986, the Urquhart Room was added, which now houses the parish office and cafe. From September 2007 to February 2008 the church precincts were redeveloped and a new sculpture, entitled 'Spring', was installed on the site of the original Leamington spa spring. The church remains in active use, first and foremost as a place of worship for a thriving community of families, young professionals and students. The congregation is frequently supplemented by visitors from the UK and abroad. Despite the fragmentation of its parish during the 19th century, All Saints is still known and used as Leamington's Parish Church, especially for very large occasions. There is a particular emphasis in the worship on high quality choral and organ music, with a repertoire spanning the 8th to the 21st centuries. The church also hosts and promotes organ recitals and concerts, with the capacity to accommodate a full choir and symphony orchestra along with an audience of up to 500. Every so often, music, along with other art forms, is celebrated intensively over a weekend at the All Saints' Arts Festival.