There was once a Roman fort and later an Anglo-Saxon church.
Chad was one of four brothers, all active in the Anglo-Saxon church.
It was built on the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon church.
From the 8th century a church has been on the site, initially a wooden Anglo-Saxon church.
All Saints' church is one of the oldest, largest and most complete Anglo-Saxon churches in the country.
The Anglo-Saxon church was cruciform and may have had a tower over its central crossing.
The north transept was rebuilt along with the nave, so compared to pre-1867 almost half of the Anglo-Saxon church has now gone.
The church is one of only three complete Anglo-Saxon churches remaining in England.
The present church was founded in the thirteenth century on what is believed to be the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon church.
During construction, the foundations of the original Anglo-Saxon church were discovered.
