All Saints' Church at Boyne Hill is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ...

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...

in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

county of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

Background

The church, completed in 1857, is one of the finest examples of the early work of the architect

G. E. Street George Edmund Street (20 June 1824 – 18 December 1881), also known as G. E. Street, was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex. Stylistically, Street was a leading practitioner of the Victorian Gothic Revival. Though mainly an eccl ...

. The complex consists of the church surrounded on the south side by the Old Vicarage, former school and two clergy houses. On the south-west boundary there is an

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

. The church was founded in the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...

of the Church of England and remains within that today. The first incumbent was the prominent high churchman William Gresley, from 1857 until he died in 1876. Sgt Major

Grace McDougall Grace McDougall or Grace Alexandra Smith or Grace Ashley-Smith (3 June 1887 – 19 January 1963) was a British officer of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY). She is credited with reinventing that organisation and with being the first khaki bri ...

was said to be the first bride to marry whilst wearing khaki at her wedding here on 22 January 1915. The font cover was donated by the family of William Bissley, who was killed at the Somme 1916. The cover was made by B. Fellowes-Prynne of Messrs. Hartson and Peard.

Organ

The church contains a pipe organ by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd, dating from 1879. Its specifications can be found in th
National Pipe Organ Register

Importance for art history

In 2007, the architectural historian James Stevens Curl placed All Saints' Church among five worthwhile British buildings in which "it is still possible to experience something of the Victorian mastery of colour, detail, and architectural grandeur," along with the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. The shrine is dedicated to the Blood of Jesus Ch ...

, All Saints' Church in Margaret Street and the Church of Christ the Consoler at

Skelton-on-Ure Skelton-on-Ure or Skelton is a village and civil parish in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated west of Boroughbridge, near the A1(M) motorway. There is one village pub called The Black Lion, a primary school, and ...

. James Stevens Curl, ''Victorian Architecture: Diversity and Invention'', Reading: Spire Books, 2007, pp. 560–561.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
Places of worship in Maidenhead Maidenhead, All Saints' Church Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Grade I listed churches in Berkshire

1857 establishments in England