All Saints' Church, Tudeley

All Saints' Church in Tudeley, Kent, England,[1] is the only church in the world[2] that has all its windows in stained glass designed by Marc Chagall.[3]

All Saints' Church
51.1848°N 0.3185°E / 51.1848; 0.3185
LocationTudeley, Kent
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
History
StatusOpen
Founded12th century
Specifications
Number of floors1
Bells3 (18th century)
Administration
ParishTudeley
DioceseRochester
Marc Chagall window

History

A place of worship has existed in Tudeley since the seventh century, then one of only four in the Weald. The sandstone footings of the nave and tower may date from before the Norman conquest, and the church is listed in the Domesday Book under the village's alternative name of Tivedale. In 1293 the church was given to Tonbridge Priory.[4] The majority of the existing structure was created in the later medieval period, during the 13th and 14th centuries.[5] After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1526, it came under the control of Christ Church, Oxford, and then in 1529 became controlled by the Crown, before returning to private hands in 1548. Today it is part of the Diocese of Rochester.[4]

Restoration

The structure was extensively restored and renovated from the late 18th century, rebuilt in red Flemish Bond brick at a cost of £1,125.[4] Much of the earlier stone shell of the chancel survived, as well as the lower walls of the nave and west tower. Three bells were also cast at this time and hung in the tower, and the roof topped with blue slate.[4] The extant brick tower was constructed in 1765 and in 1798 the church was described as being rebuilt. In 1871-5 Robert Medley Fulford rebuilt the nave and added the north aisle in Bath stone,[4] and in 1885 the chancel arch was constructed and the 1571 Fane monument restored.[5][4] The monument is to George Fane (1512-1572) Sheriff of Kent in 1557-8, son of Richard Fane by his wife Agnes Stidulf, the daughter and heiress of Henry Stidulf of Badsell, the son of Thomas Stidulf and his wife Marion Badsell, whose monumental brass is in the chancel.

Windows

On 19 September 1963, Sarah the daughter of Sir Henry and Lady D'Avigdor-Goldsmid who owned nearby Somerhill House,[6][7] was drowned in a sailing accident off Rye, East Sussex.[8][9] In her memory, the couple commissioned Russian-French artist Marc Chagall to design a stained glass window for the church.[8] which was installed in 1967. When Chagall arrived for the dedication of the east window in 1967, and saw the church for the first time, he exclaimed "C'est magnifique! Je les ferai tous!" ("It's magnificent! I will do them all!") Over the next ten years Chagall designed the remaining eleven windows, made again in collaboration with the glassworker Charles Marq in his workshop at Reims in northern France. The last windows were installed in 1985, just before Chagall's death.[10]

References
  1. "All Saints' Church, Tudeley". Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  2. Places around the world to see Marc Chagall’s stained glass http://www.tudeley.org/downloads.htm Accessed 2009-12-03
  3. The art of Marc Chagall at All Saints, Tudeley http://www.tudeley.org/chagall.htm Accessed 2009-12-03
  4. Tim Tatton-Brown (1994). "All Saints' Church, Tudeley". Kenta Archaeology. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  5. "All Saints Church, Tudeley". English Heritage. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  6. "Somerhill". English Heritage. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  7. Memorial plaque to Sarah d'Avigdor-Goldsmid (plaque). All Saints Church, Tudeley. c. 1963. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  8. Huntingford, Diane (February 2009). "SOMERHILL HISTORY" (PDF). The Schools at Somerhill. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  9. "All Saints' Tudeley". All Saints’ Tudeley. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  10. Marc Chagall stained glass at All Saints, Tudeley http://www.tudeley.org/lookatthewindows.htm Accessed 2009-12-03
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