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History of the Church
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THE PARISH CHURCH OF HESSLE
The township of Hessle, near the Humber-side, dates from Anglo-Saxon times. The original settlement grew up between the woods that were later ‘called Hesslewood and the salt marshes which then stretched eastward to the river Hull. The Anglians named it “Hoesellea,” i.e., the hazel grove or meadow; the Normans called it Hase.
The ecclesiastical Parish of Hessle in medieval times comprised the township proper and the lands between Hessle creek and the river Hull. The site on the Hull, purchased by Edward I in 1293, became Kingston upon Hull.
The Church of All Saints, Hessle, thus served as the Parish Church of a typical East Yorkshire village, and also for nearly four centuries as Mother Church to the magnificent Chapel of the Holy Trinity at Hull.
Down to the year 1661, when Holy Trinity became an independent parish, most of the Old Town of Hull was subject ecclesiastically to the Vicar of Hessle. In fact, until the year 1301 the dead were brought from Hull (by the Humber bank) to Hessle for burial.
In Anglo-Saxon times Hessle was the meeting place of the Saxon Hundred. In Norman times the manor of Hessle became subject to the great Lordship of Cottingham.
Hessle Parish Church was completely rebuilt in the reign of King Stephen. Some of the stonework at the west end of the nave dates from that time. An earlier church, probably Anglo-Saxon, is mentioned in Domesday Book, 1086: “A church is there and a priest.” The fact that two important Anglian cists (or coffins) of chalk Stones were discovered in the churchyard near the tower, suggests that the earlier church stood to the west of the present nave.
To appreciate the early development of the church it must be remembered that in the years 1868-70 it was restored and considerably enlarged, the architect being Mr R. G Smith of Hull. The chancel and its aisles were then taken down and rebuilt further eastward, the nave lengthened by two bays, and the narrow aisles widened to treble their original width. The seating accommodation was thereby raised from 500 to over 1,000, and the disfiguring galleries in nave and chancel swept away.
In the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the fabric of the church had been so neglected that rebuilding had become essential. In 1724, Warburton found the north chancel walls were largely of brick, and by 1868 we are told the nave walls had become a patchwork “partly of chalk (from the parish pits) of rubble-stones and mud.”In the rebuilding,” says Dr John Bilson, F.S.A., in his pamphlet on Hessle Church “the original features were so faithfully replaced that it is quite easy to realise what the Church was like before the enlargements were made.”
THE STRUCTURE
The structural development has been described by Dr Bilson:-
‘The twelfth century church consisted simply of nave and chancel without aisles, and possibly a western tower. The length of the nave is marked by three original bays of the nave arcades - the three westernmost bays- and its width was the same as that of the present nave. The chancel would be much shorter than at present. it is possible that some parts of this original building remain at the western angles of the nave, some fragments of its windows and some corbels from the eaves of this twelfth century church have been built into the rebuilt south wall of the chancel, on the side next the south chapel. Many of its stones, with the characteristic diagonal axing, have been reused in the later walls “The addition of narrow aisles formed, us was usually the case, the first enlargement of the original church, which was carried out in the earlier years of the thirteenth century. To this work belong the three westernmost bays of the nave arcades, and the north and south doorways, both of which were rebuilt when he aisles were widened in 1863-70.
The chancel arch also belongs to the beginning of the thirteenth century, and, before it was raised (in the year 1892) its lowness was accounted for by the fact that there was no clerestory to the nave, the roof springing from immediately above the arcades. There is little doubt that at the same time the chancel was either considerably lengthened, or entirely rebuilt.
“The next work was due addition of an aisle on the north side of the chancel This dates from the middle or second half of the thirteenth century. “Before the middle of the fourteenth century two windows, with excellent flowing tracery, were inserted in the north side of the nave, in the two bays to the east of the north door.
“The most considerable work of the fifteenth century was the erection of the western tower, with its graceful spire. At the same time the aisles of the nave, which originally finished in line with the eastern face of the tower, were extended along the sides of the tower, with a two-light window at the west end of each, and a three-light window on each side. The latter have been rebuilt in the widened aisles. The west ends of these extensions of the aisles show the original width of the aisles of the nave before they were widened in 1868-70.
“The insertion of the east window of the chancel seems to have been contemporary with the erection of the lower part of the western tower. At this time the chancel walls were lower than at present; they were raised in 1868-70.
“The fifteenth century work included the insertion of the east window of the north chapel. Later in the same century two new windows of three lights were inserted in the south aisle of the nave, to the east of the south porch.
“In the fifteenth century too the walls of the nave were raised to form a clerestory. Late in the century an aisle was added on the south side of the chancel.
The heavy cost of enlarging and rebuilding the nave of the church and its aisles was borne almost entirely by the parishioners. The chancel however, was removed and rebuilt by Col. Joseph Walker Pease, J.P., Deputy Lieutenant of the East Riding and Churchwarden of Hessle. The pulpit was the gift of John Loft Fearne.
A new south porch was added in 1874 and new vestries and an organ chamber in 1901. Considerable deterioration in the stone-work led to extensive restoration of the church and the north porch in 1947.
A central Altar was created in 1982 by removing the choir stalls in the Chancel and relocating them within the North Aisle.
During 2001 the Organ was rebuilt by Geoffrey Coffin of Principal Pipe Organs of York, this involved turning the Organ through 90 degrees, to release sound in to the nave rather than trap the sound in the Chancel, changing the action of the organ and allowing the organist a better view of the service movements.
A new Bell frame was installed in the tower in 2001 and the peal was augmented from a 6 peal to an 8 peal tower in the key of F (sharp).
In 2006 work was completed on installing new lighting. Various spotlights and uplighters reveal the splendour of the roofing timbers, and worship areas within the church. The chandeliers were replaced and moved in to the north and south aisles. Giving a better view down the nave to the central space and chancel.
A new Paschal Candle Holder was blessed for use in the church.
Updated 13/12/2007
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