All Saints' Church, Ryde 3.06

All Saints' Church, Ryde is a parish church in the Church of England located in Ryde, Isle of Wight. The building is a landmark of the Island, the spire being visible from many places around the Isle of Wight - and indeed from the mainland - projecting beyond the skyline. All Saints' is sometimes referred to as the "Cathedral of the Island" It is a Grade II* listed building, formally listed on 24 October 1950.The present incumbent is Canon Graham Morris who was installed in June 2012 and who is also an Honorary Canon at Portsmouth Cathedral and Bishop Aglionby Memorial Cathedral in the Diocese of Tamale, Ghana. He is the current chair of the Inter-Diocesan West African Link (IDWAL).The Vicar of All Saints' also bears the title 'Vicar of Ryde'.ArchitectureThe church was built between 1868 and 1872 by the architect George Gilbert Scott. The spire was an addition of 1881/82. The spire is climbed early on the Feast of the Ascension to sing an Ascension hymn.All Saints' is listed as a 'large' church in ornate Second Pointed style, constructed of stone-rubble with ashlar dressings. There are six bay-pointed arcades with naturalistic capitals. The chancel walls were painted by Clayton and Bell. The apsed vestry - now the choir song school - was added by C Pemberton-Leach in 1891.There are two side chapels: The Warrior Chapel in the north aisle - which is a memorial chapel - and The Chapel of The Good Shepherd in the south aisle, which was the original sacristy. The pulpit, reredos and font are all typical Scott features, The pulpit is made of Derbyshire alabaster on polished marble columns, and appeared in The Great Exhibition of 1851, winning 1st prize in its class.