Ratcliffe Culey

All Saints Church, Ratcliffe Culey

All Saints Church in Ratcliffe Culey has always been connected with the church in Sheepy Magna. The church in Ratcliffe Culey was a chapel of ease and its mother church was All Saints Church, Sheepy. At one time there was a parsonage in the village, but this no longer exists.

The present building dates from the 14th Century. This is confirmed by many of its architectural features: the 'Y' tracery windows; the design of the parapet, tower and spire; the uniformity of the window design. However, there are some anomalies, which may be explained by the building having taken several years to construct.

The church as it is today varies little from the building that was erected in the 14th Century. The only major difference to the appearance is the roofline. The illustration below is taken from Nicholls c 1791 and shows parapets on the nave and chancel which match the tower parapets. The roofline was lower and there are stepped coping stones on the eaves.

Inside the church there have been many more changes, unfortunately. There used to be stained glass in the windows; a chancel screen; a font kneeling stone. On his web site, Martyn Parsons states 'the church is but a shell of its former self'. However, he concedes that there remains much room for further research into a building which 'is a rare example of a village church unaltered in form for 650 years' and he intends to continue his investigations.

If you are interested in learning more about All Saints Church, Ratcliffe Culey and the village of Ratcliffe Culey, please use the link below to connect to Martyn's outstanding web site.

'Village fights for future of church'

Concerned Ratcliffe Culey villagers have won a stay of execution on their threatened village church. But a leading campaigner in the fight to keep All Saints open has warned "The battle is far from over".

Shocked villagers were told in June they had just eight days to prove they were capable of raising enough cash to keep the ancient building from closure or demolition. Architects said more than £12,000 would have to be spent to repair the church. But public outcry was so strong after the announcement, a meeting of the PCC has deferred a decision on the church's future until the end of September. Mr Peter Young who lives in Ormes Lane in the village said "We are all relieved at getting the stay of execution, but we know that if we are to be realistic, we have a big battle on our hands. Since the closure threat was announced, we have been rallying round to do minor repairs to the church - a new path has been laid, the church grounds completely cleared, graves have been uncovered and the whole of the tower and steeple cleaned inside. We have also polished all the woodwork inside the church. Some of the villagers made a video film of the church and its surrounding villages and we will be showing it throughout the open day this Saturday in aid of the restoration fund".

If it hadn't been for the determination of those good people not that long ago to keep All Saints open and viable, we wouldn't be in the position we are now to effect major repairs which will ensure a safe future for the village church. With its dual use as a place of worship and social meeting space, along with a group of very dedicated people who care for and use the building, its future is now a lot more secure. (2006)

Maintenance

The leaded window next to the pulpit has been re-installed (March 2007) and some minor repairs to other leaded panes have been carried out.

The replacement of guttering on the North side of the nave and tidying up of the area outside the South door has been completed (August 2007).

If you would like to make a contribution to this vital work please contact Richard Jones, Churchwarden (01827 713766).

A service of dedication will take place, following the final completion of this work.

A Heartfelt Relief

A hymn composed by Rita Reading, church warden at Twycross, on the occasion of the blessing of the new toilet facilities at Ratcliffe Culey Church on April 14th 2002. The hymn is published in a booklet of poems, 'Rita Rambles On' Volume 2. The booklet is sold in aid of St James' Church, Twycross. If you wish to buy a copy, please contact Rita (01827 880006).

Parish of the Sheepy Group

All Saints Church, Ratcliffe Culey

'Village fights for future of church'

Maintenance

A Heartfelt Relief