All Saints' Church, Cambridge

All Saints' is a church on Jesus Lane in central Cambridge, England, which was built by the architect George Frederick Bodley. The church was constructed in stages between 1863 and 1870 and is a notable example of English Gothic Revival style. It was designated Grade I listed building status in 1950. It was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust in 1981.

A mediæval church stood in St John's Street, Cambridge. This was known as All Saints in the Jewry, and previously as All Saints by the Hospital (due to its proximity to the Hospital of St John the Evangelist). This was to distinguish it from the other All Saints' Church in Cambridge at the time, All Saints by the Castle, now demolished. By the 13th century, the church was in the patronage of St Radegund's Nunnery, later re-established as Jesus College. The church was rebuilt several times but by the 19th century was deemed too small for the growing congregation, being able to accommodate less than 400 of the 1,400 people of the parish. Consisting of box pews, for which there was a levy, the poor were doubly excluded. A plot of land in Jesus Lane was donated by Jesus College and the new building was erected at its junction with Manor Road. The old church was demolished in 1865. The churchyard of the original church is now an open space known as All Saints' Garden and contains a memorial cross designed by Basil Champneys in 1882.

Although it was initially hoped that George Gilbert Scott would design the new church, G. F. Bodley who had been Scott's pupil (and was later a founder of Watts & Co.), was chosen. The foundation stone was laid on 27 May 1863 and the church was consecrated on 30 November 1864. Between 1869 and 1871 the present tower and spire were added, with St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, used as the model. The final ornament was a weather vane, donated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and fixed in place by the priest and author Herbert Mortimer Luckock, later Dean of Lichfield. The author and academic A. C. Bouquet was the parish priest from 1923 to 1945. As early as the 1920s, All Saints' was already being considered for redundancy by the Church of England. With better social housing in the city, many of the parish's residents had relocated causing the size of the congregation to drop rapidly. This was further aided by the purchase of other larger residences by University colleges whose students did not need a non-collegiate church in which to worship. The final vicar was installed in 1945 and, upon his retirement, services ceased in July 1973. It lay redundant for several years and fell into disrepair, during which time plans to demolish part of the building arose. These were abandoned in 1981.

In October 2021 a new collaboration between the Churches Conservation Trust and The Arts Society in Cambridge saw the introduction of a regular programme of events at All Saints'. Beginning with October Fest, a series of five Sunday lunchtime recitals, Music At All Saints' has attracted a loyal audience. These concerts present innovative and diverse combinations of instruments and repertoire and have been host to three world premiere performances. They continue monthly on the first Sunday of the month. Other projects in 2022 include FABULATION, an art exhibition inspired by the interior decoration of the church and created by Jennifer Campbell, Toby Upson, Cathy Lomax and Luke Burton. Also a live performance of ghost stories by M. R. James with Robert Lloyd Parry, an Autumn exhibition on the textiles of the church and a traditional magic show. Money raised from ticketed events goes to support restoration of the interior lighting, and equip the church with toilet facilities and running water. The external appearance of the church is maintain

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