The Church of All Saints, Farmborough is reputedly from the 15th century but with a new nave built in 1869, the architect being John Elkington Gill, a Bath architect based at 1 Fountain Buildings. The Bath Chronicle of Thu 2 Apr 1868 p8 has an advert inviting builders to submit tenders for making repairs and addition to the church. From the Bath Chronicle of Thu 20 May 1869 p8 “The parish church of Farmborough is being restored under the superintendence of Mr. J. Elkington Gill. The cost of the restoration will be about £900, and in aid of this a bazaar was held in the village last week, from which it is believed about £40 will be realized.”
From the Bath Chronicle of Thu 18 Nov 1869 p5: “The parish church of the ancient village of Farmborough, near this city, having been restored and considerably enlarged, was formally re-opened yesterday, several special services being held in honour of the occasion. To give an idea of the nature and extent of the work which has been so well commenced by the Rector, it may be as well to state briefly the condition of things in the past. The church, like the village, stands in a vale to the left of the road leading from Bath to Wells, about eight and a half miles from the first named city. It was a small building, dedicated to All Saints, consisting of a nave, chancel and tower at the west end, the latter, which was shut off from the body of the church, containing six bells. There was a gallery at the west end, and a considerable space was similarly occupied on the north and south sides. The interior of the building was really in a very cold and wretched state, and filled with large high separating pews, the occupants facing some one way and some another. It was the intention of the late rector and patron of the living, the Rev. Dr. Lord, to have restored the church, but his sudden death in the early part of 1867 necessitated the postponement of the work sine die. Dr. Lord was succeeded in the rectory by his son, the Rev. F. B. Lord, who quickly took steps to improve the condition of the church, and for that purpose sought the professional advice of Mr. J. Elkington Gill, of this city. The Rector was materially assisted in the work by residents in the neighbourhood, and the Diocesan and Incorporated Church Building Societies lent pecuniary aid, the grant of the last named society being made on the condition that 100 sittings in the church were set apart for the poor.”
An annotation in the burial register has “April 15 1909. Consecration of the extension to the Churchyard on a portion of glebe land to the north of the present churchyard the land being given by me W Clement Ketchley, Rector ”
The church was given Grade II* listing in 1960.
The parish is part of the benefice of Farmborough, Marksbury and Stanton Prior within the archdeaconry of Bath.
Limitations
As of Nov-2023, there remain a few dozen more memorials to document
