In
common with all Parish Churches, All Saints in constant need of restoration.
In 1999 , a special
All Saints Restoration Fund was set up to refurbish and enhance the interior of
the ancient building. The wooden shingles on the spire roof also needed replacing
a problem exacerbated by the attentions of a Green Woodpecker which bored holes
in the woodwork to extract the insects thriving in the decaying wood.
The Church
was closed throughout the Summer of 2001 for a major restoration and the newly refurbished
Church reopened in time for Harvest Festival in the Autumn. |
In
2005 after a pastoral reorganisation of Local Parishes, Farringdon became part of
the newly created Northanger Benefice which brought together the Parishes of Chawton,
Selborne, East Worldham, West Worldham Hartley Mauditt, Newton Valence, East Tisted,
Oakhanger and Kingsley.
The
Reorganisation brought The Reverend Tony Pears and his family to the Farringdon
Vicarage and on April 30th 2005 Tony was installed as Priest in Charge of the
Northanger benefice at a service in Selborne. |
Gilbert
White, the Selborne naturalist, was curate at All Saints for many years before
he took up his post as curate at Selborne, in the neighbouring parish. |
Although
the present church building dates back to the 1300's, structural changes took
place in the 19th century under the influence of Rev Thomas Massey, rector for
62 years.
Massey
was something of an eccentric with a penchant for building.
He
was responsible for the construction of
'Massey's
Folly', just across the road from the Church, the building which once housed the Village School and the Village Hall.
The Rev.
Massey died in 1919, before the building was completed, he is buried alongside
his wife, near the Church door, their graves marked with Celtic crosses |
 Not normally visible to visitors is the stained glass window in the vestry designed by village
resident Hugh Powell, who moved to Farringdon in 1958. His work repairing bomb
damaged stained glass was much in demand. His also made a window in Southwark
Cathedral in London.
Ancient
wall paintings of an Apostle dating back to 1340 were discovered when layers of
old lime wash began to flake off medieval plaster work. In 1988 experts were consulted
to carry out an investigation, so that decisions could be made about conservation.
Two
paintings were discovered - both 'Dooms' or 'Last Judgements', with Christ as
the central figure displaying the wounds of his crucifixion. The paintings were
faded in places and difficult to make out, but some details are still clear.
Unfortunately
these paintings are in the loft space above the ceiling and are not accessible
to visitors, although when the recent repairs were carried out it was discovered
that the ends of the ceiling timber supports had crumbled away, with only the
plaster work preventing an unscheduled descent, which would have given those of
the congregation who were still conscious, a clear view of the old paintings.
Until 1969, when an electric punp was fitted the Church Organ was pumped by hand provided a ready source of pocket money for the village lads. |
The old
yew in the churchyard, beside the path from the Lych gate, is certainly an ancient
tree, the exact age is uncertain but possibly less than the 3,000 years claimed
in some estimates. Whatever the true age, the author of the following verse was
obviously convinced the Farringdon Yew was more than 2,000 years old.
Gilbert
White was curate here,
For nearly four and twenty years
He daily rode
the rural track
From Selborne to All Saints and back.
But long before
he came this way,
Old Farringdon had much to say —
For is it true the
hollow yew,
When Christ was born, was far from new |
