All Saints
All Saints
All Saints is open every day for prayer or a time of quiet. At the moment we have two Sunday services a month at 6pm on the third Sunday and 10am on the fourth, but do please check the calendar or pewsheet or call Jane to check. We always offer a warm welcome, and are delighted to have enquiries about baptisms and weddings. The churchyard is a site of special scientific interest as well as being beautiful, and burials are still possible for residents and former residents of the village. We have close links with Long Marston School which is a Voluntary Aided Church School.
There is a car park for anyone visiting which is on the right of Glebe Meadow which adjoins the churchyard.
​Vicar : Canon Jane Banister Churchwarden: Judith Wetherall
Worship
Our usual pattern of worship is:
​
3rd Sunday of Month - 6 pm Celtic Evening Prayer
4th Sunday of Month - 10 am Holy Communion
​
​
​
Our service times may change in the winter and some of the services might move online so please see the up to date list of services on the bookings page. Children are welcome at all of our services. At the 10 am service there will always be a craft activity or similar prepared for them.
​
For details of all services across our Team Parish please see the calendar on the Service and events bookings page​
​
Finding us
We are situated on Station Road at the Wingrave end of the village.
Our address is:
All Saints Church,
Station Road,
Long Marston, Herts. HP23 4QS
​
There are a few parking spaces on the right in Glebe Meadow.
Facilities
We have a toilet and a kitchen. In winter wrap up warm - it can be a little cold. We will give you a warm welcome.
History
The original church of Long Marston was to the west of the village, at the end of Chapel Lane and was pulled down except for its embattled tower, in 1883. The church probably dates back to the twelfth century but when it was pulled down the oldest remaining part was from the 14th century consisting of a Nave, Chancel, south porch and west Tower. When originally built the church had a high pitched roof but this was changed during repairs in the 16th century to a flat pitched one when the final stage of the tower was also built. Architects recommended in 1881 that the site should be abandoned as the church was in a dangerous state due to use of unseasoned oak in the roof and saturation of the foundations by water from lack of gutters and the mote on the northern side.
The present church was built on the north side of the village at a cost of £4000, on land given by the then lord of the manor, Lord Rothschild. The new building was built of stone in a Gothic style, using parts of the old church, including in the north aisle, fifteenth-century piscina and two fourteenth-century windows. The clustered columns, high moulded bases and organ came from Tring Church. The columns at Tring church were replaced by the Victorians as they considered that they were not strong enough.
The new church was consecrated in 1883 but was left unfinished until 1888 due to lack of funds. A church tower on the west side of the church was planed but not built.
In 1898 Lord Rothschild gave to the parish the new cemetery.
In 1906 the church became dangerous due to foundations and the roof giving way, and was closed for two years for repairs.