With the building of Okehampton Castle soon after 1066, present day Okehampton began to develop in the river valley and the little Saxon village was progressively abandoned.

It is certainly known that a Church existed here prior to the first recorded consecration by Bishop Bronescombe of Exeter in 1261. The lovely medieval building, which resulted from a further re-building in 1447, was destroyed by fire in 1842. It was rebuilt again to this plan, by Hayward. The 80 foot granite ashlar tower alone survived the blaze and was incorporated into the rebuilt Church which, although somewhat larger, was designed, more or less on the lines of the previous one. There are remains of the old stone reredos against the west wall of the south aisle. The organ is reputed to be one of the finest in Devon. The reredos is of stone and was built in 1891 by Hems and the choir stalls and altar rails date from 1892. The pulpit is a little older, having been installed in 1872. There are several fine stained glass windows in the church, notably one south window by Morris and Co. depicting St Cecilia and the Angels. The North Window is by the Kemp studios and others are by Ward and Hughes. In the Lady Chapel there is a small section of medieval glass displayed in a cabinet beside the altar.

Although the church is on the edge of the town we seek to be at the heart of the community and to serve it in the best way we can. We are a growing church, with a good range of ages and backgrounds. We have an active social programme and are trying to expand the range of our activities. On the first Sunday of the month, we have a family service in the morning at 11.00. This is designed to be a shorter service and although primarily is for the younger ages, there is something for everyone. Our Sunday School, or “Jam” meets on other Sundays during the 11:00 service. We try to offer a range of worship to suit all tastes from informal to formal, from modern to traditional. All Saints, apart from being a lovely place to spend a quiet, reflective time, also has the distinction of having it’s own resident Church Mouse together with a dedication to someone with “a deep love of God’s animal world” who was “killed whilst out hunting.

Church Guidebook
We have available to buy at a cost of £4, a fully illustrated guide book detailing the history of All Saints Church and St James’ Chapel; written by Alan Endacott, a local historian and stained glass expert. Copies are available in All Saints Church and St James Chapel; alternatively copies can be obtained from the Museum of Dartmoor Life, Okehampton.