ALL SAINTS CHURCH, HINTON AMPNER.

The church still retains some pre-Conquest work, an internal doorway now leading to the vestry, two pilaster strips (typical Saxon ornamentation) on the north and south outer walls of the nave near the east end, and some long and short stonework in the north east quoin of the nave.

In the 13th century the church seems to have been largely rebuilt, although (he plan and proportions of the Saxon church were preserved. To that century belong the Priest's door on the south side of the chancel, the sedilla (Priest's seat) within the altar rails, and the double piscina with a recess at the back, later used for keeping vessels. There are also mediaeval tiles surrounding a memorial stone of a later date set in the floor of the chancel. The exact date when the chancel was restored and the stonework severely retooled is not known, but it was probably early 19th century.

The nave was rebuilt in 1880, but apart from the addition of a small vestry at the north west corner the original plan was adhered to. The medieval church would not have needed a vestry, the books and vestments being kept in a box under the altar, and the priest, entering by the chancel door would vest in the chancel.

The pulpit is largely Jacobean, whilst the robust door leading to the vestry was given as the inscription on it shows, by Nicholas I,acey in 1643, the year of the Battle of Cheriton. The baluster altar rails are late 17lh century and were put in the church in 1949 to replace the brass rails. There are a number of interesting marble monuments to the families of Stewkeley, Stawell, and Dutton, and several 17th century brasses to the memory of the Stewkeley family. The two large monuments on the south wall of the nave were brought from St. Mary's Laverstoke on its demolition in 1952.

The timber bell turret, typical of the smaller church in this part of England, carries three bells. Two of them date from 1603 and are inscribed ''Serv God" and "Fere God", with the founder's initial J.W. standing for John Wallis of the Salisbury bell foundry. The tenor bell is dated 1619 with the inscription "My hope is God", some of the letters reversed and the M inverted. Although it bears no makers name or mark it might well be a bell cast by John Higden, an itinerant, and one time foreman of the Reading foundry. As his earliest known bells date from this year, and "God is my hope'' was known to be his favourite motto, it could well be a medieval bell recast on the site.

The church has sustained many alterations over the centuries, and the late Lord Sherborne comments in his book "A Hampshire Manor": "Almost as sad as the loss of the original nave is the loss of the monuments, of which I believe there were many. The entrance to the vault, into which they were thrust was so carefully sealed that I have no clue to its whereabouts, and I have so far been unable to examine them or the coffins of the generation of owners, with their spouses and children which lie there". The church has sustained many alterations over the centuries, and the late Lord Sherborne comments in his book "A Hampshire Manor": "Almost as sad as the loss of the original nave is the loss of the monuments, of which I believe there were many. The entrance to the vault, into which they were thrust was so carefully sealed that I have no clue to its whereabouts, and I have so far been unable to examine them or the coffins of the generation of owners, with their spouses and children which lie there".

The mystery was solved in 1970 during the removal of the underfloor heating system and a stone now marks the entrance to the vault at the foot of the altar steps. Close by and to the right is Ralph Dutton’s modest memorial stone.

It was during this time that a number of improvements were carried out consisting of the removal of the pews from the chancel, relaying the floor with flagstones, lime washing the walls, and replacing opaque glass by clear glazing in the windows of the nave.

But the major improvement was the insertion of new stained glass windows at he east end which replaced the former Victorian Windows at Ralph Dutton's instigation in the 1970's. They were designed by Patrick Reyntiens.

Reyntiens has collaborated with other well-known artists to produce other windows in other Churches. One of the earliest was an interpretation of John Piper's designs and can be found in Eton College Chapel. Other superb examples of Mr Reyntiens work can be found in the Baptistry window in Coventry Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral where he was co-designer and more recently he completed the whole of the Chapel at Ampleforth College.

Reyntiens designed the windows here on his own having been commissioned by Ralph Dutton.

The two windows represent a quotation from the Bible which is found in Exodus, Chapter 13 verse 21, The passage deals with the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt as led by Moses.

“The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

Some believe that Ralph Dutton may have commissioned the windows on the 10th anniversary of the house burning hence the 'Pillar of fire' in the right hand window.