Statues and Memorials
Our Lady & All Saints is home to a number of beautiful statues, sculptures and memorials both inside the church and in the grounds.
Inside the Church
North side
In memory of S. Ainscough, 1 June 1893
War Memorial Window
A memorial to all those who have died as a result of violence and war. Erected on 14 April 2014
and blessed on Easter Sunday. An explanation plate beneath the memorial states:
TO ALL WHO HAVE DIED AS A RESULT OF WAR AND VIOLENCE
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
The above Memorial evokes Isaiah 2.4
“These will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles
Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war“
The design is based on the explosive forms of the Hedgehogs of World War II.
These were designed to impede Landing Craft on the Normandy beaches.
Attached are a sickle shaped section of a helmet, the tailpiece of an aircraft forming the primitive
shape of a hatchet and a punctured armour plate, a reminder of the punctured flesh of the combatants.
This memorial was designed by Bryan Dutton, an architect and a member of the parish.
Memorial Book
The Memorial Book, consisting of two volumes of the deceased of Our Lady and All Saints, is displayed in a cabinet at the War Memorial window on the north side of the church.
It was compiled by Father Gordon in 2013 and blessed on Sunday 3 November 2013. At the time, the number of names totaled 980, all of whom are recorded in the Libri Defunctorum (Death Registers).
The current volume is displayed in an iroko timber cabinet, with a glazed viewing lid allowing the current page to be read.
St Benedict’s Chapel
Saint Benedict’s
Chapel Wall
War Memorial to
the ten parishioners, who gave their lives
for their Country
in the First World War
For details of names, see Parish Records
St Benedict’s Altar
From left to right:
St Scholastica,
St Gregory,
St Benedict,
St Augustine of Canterbury,
St Placid
The High Altar
The Reredos
The Nine orders of Angels – carrying items associated with of the Passion of Jesus
From Left to Right:
Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels
From Left to Right:
The 3 Nails, The Whips of the Scourging, Spear, Hyssop Stick and Dice, Veronica’s face cloth,
The Crown of Thorns, Chalice, Christ’s seamless Garment, The Cross, Hammer and Pliers
The Mensal
The Coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven, surrounded by All Saints,
Patrons of the Church
Left Panel
Four Martyrs with Palms
The Communion of Saints represented by a:
Monk, Abbot, Doctor of Church, Bishop, Pope
5 Apostles with St Paul (with Sword),
St Thomas (with square), St Andrew (with Cross)
Central Panel
Jesus crowning the Virgin Mary
surrounded by the four Archangels, two with Censers and two in Prayer.
Right Panel
Four Martyrs with Palms
The Communion of Saints represented by a:
King, Queen, Knight, Princess, Nun
St Peter (with Keys) and 6 Apostles
St James (with Staff), St Matthias (with Hatchet)
South side
The Lady Chapel
St Joseph and The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Lady Chapel Wall
In Memory of Captain Cyril Ainscough,
5th Battalion Manchester Regiment
Killed in action at the Dardanelles 7 August 1915
Outside the Lady Chapel
The Blessed Virgin Mary
In memory of HS Threlfall, 8 December 1892
The Grounds
The Blessed Virgin Mary
This carving of the blessed Virgin Mary, sculpted out of the remains of a large sycamore tree trunk in the church grounds, was crafted by John Lee, the brother of the donors Clare Crossan and her husband Paul, in July 2016, using a chainsaw. The statue is in memory of Paul’s son Joseph, who died in 2016, and it was subsequently blessed in the autumn.
In 2023, the statue required extensive remedial work and so was taken down and stored over the winter to dry out. Unfortunately, the seat which had been carved as part of the statue had to be removed.
In August 2024, the statue was remounted on a plinth, which required some excavation work to accommodate a concrete cast, and a stainless steel plate upon which the statue was bolted. The statue was then treated to protect it from further decay.
Second World War
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Grave
Boyers Cuthbert, Intelligence Corps 22 December 1941
Sergeant 3446208
