For the avoidance of disappointment, please note All Saints' has no regular visitor hours and will probably be closed when you come by! Check their website for events when you can go in and see the interior. You don't need to enter the church or its ground to find the cache; the cache is available 24/7.
All Saints': "The Painted Church"
All Saints' website very accurately describes this astonishing English Gothic Revival church as a "hidden gem" in Cambridge. While slightly off the beaten track and not highlighted on tourist maps, none of the non-collegiate churches or chapels of the city boast such a breathtaking interior.
All Saints' as seen from the southeast
History
A mediaeval church opposite Trinity and St John's Colleges, demolished in 1865, once served All Saints parish; where it stood you'll still find All Saints Garden, where an art and craft market now takes place, and All Saints Passage running down its side. It was known as All Saints in the Jewry, as it was in the part of town where Cambridge Jews predominantly lived in the 13th century, to distinguish it from the other All Saints Church, which was called All Saints by the Castle (you can probably guess where this one was). In the mid-19th century, this church became too small for the large and fast-growing parish, and in 1863 construction of a new parish church began on land gifted by Jesus College. It was consecrated in 1864 and completed in 1870.
The new All Saints' Church was designed by George Frederick Bodley, who intended to emulate a 14th-century English Gothic church.
The nave, arcade and south aisle
Architecture
When it was built, All Saints' was the tallest building in the city, with a spire around 175ft/53m tall; even now it is the third-tallest, behind only Our Lady and the English Martyrs and Addenbrookes Hospital's chimney. It is constructed from brick, and Ancaster and Casterton stone, and consists of a nave, south aisle, chancel and vestry. There are some fabulous gargoyles on the exterior - take a moment to admire them.
The chancel canopy and chandelier
Interior
The interior of the church is astonishing. The most remarkable aspect is the stencilled wall and ceiling decorations throughout the church. Featuring floral friezes, religious symbolism and Biblical texts, they were applied by local firm F. R. Leach & Sons.
The east window, dedicated to Lady Affleck who had laid the church's foundation stone and donated £1000 to its construction, was designed by Edward Burne-Jones and produced by Morris & Co., and features twenty figures designed by Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown and William Morris himself. Morris also designed and produced the two angels who appear in the west window. Several other windows in the church were also designed by prominent figures. The church's architect, Bodley, was responsible for the alabaster font, pulpit, screen, textiles, pews, candlesticks and tiles.
The altar
The last century
In the 1920s, barely half a century after its completion, All Saints' was being considered for redundancy by the Church of England. Many of the parish's former residents had relocated, and many larger local residences had been bought by the colleges to house students, who attended their college chapels, so attendance was low. The final vicar served from 1945-1973, after which the church became redundant and fell into disrepair. Horrifyingly, there was talk of demolishing part of the building, but this ceased in 1981 when All Saints' was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust thanks to the work of local campaigners. At this point the church was restored and reopened to the public.
Sadly visitor numbers began to decline in recent years and eventually the CCT contacted the Arts Society Cambridge to request help in bringing people through the door once again. The church now plays host to a frequent cultural events.
All Saints' has no regular visitor hours, but you can check their website for the next event to be held there. Even if the event isn't your cup of tea, it's likely to be well worth going along just to marvel at the spectacular interior.
Stained glass panel depicting Judas Maccabeus
The cache
The cache is not on church property. It may be busy at GZ sometimes, please use stealth. The cache is a micro that St Peter might find handy. You could probably fit a small geocoin in there. Bring your own pen (though there's a pencil for emergencies). Please reseal the ziplock bag tightly and leave the pack of silica gel in there. There's paid parking on the street the cache is on. Any issues, message me or leave a "needs maintenance" log so I can keep the cache in good condition for future finders!
The images on this page are by Wikipedia user ChurchSniffer and shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Congratulations to angelou666 and tantheterror for joint FTF!
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