All Saints' Church, Winthorpe

All Saints’ Church stands in the village of Winthorpe, a few kilometres north-east of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire. The present building, completed in 1888, is at least the third on the site, which has held a church since the early 13th century. It was commissioned by the rector Edward Handley in memory of his cousin Philip Handley. The architect was Sidney Gambier-Parry, son of the philanthropist Thomas Gambier-Parry, and the builders were Mackenzie & Sons of Newark. The church was raised on ground once occupied by Parliamentary troops during the English Civil War. The church is worth visiting for its Gothic design and the story of its construction. The exterior combines red brick with Ancaster stone trim and red Mansfield stone inside. The tower at the north-west corner holds six bells, three of them from the earlier church. The stained-glass windows include a notable set above the altar, a memorial to Cassandra Handley by Mrs Edward Gordon. The churchyard contains Grade II listed tombs and gate piers, and the Handley family vault lies beneath the vestry. Inside, the nave and chancel follow the plan of the previous church but are larger. The west end holds an apsidal baptistry with three lancet windows. The south wall of the nave has three double lancet windows with cinquefoil tracery. The organ chamber and north aisle were built on ground that had not been used before. Gas lighting supplements the stained glass, and old fittings from earlier buildings remain in place.