Church Of All Saints

The Church of All Saints is a parish church largely rebuilt in the early 19th century, with medieval origins. Parts of the nave arcade date from the medieval period, and the tower, originally 15th century, was heightened in 1845. The main body of the church was rebuilt between 1831 and 1832 by T. Tibbetts, with nave aisles added in 1845. Further transepts and chancel aisles were constructed, and the entire church was restored in 1870 by J.P. Pritchett. The church is constructed of tooled dressed sandstone with graduated green slate roofs. It is cruciform in plan with aisles, a west tower, a chapel on the north aisle, and a porch on the south aisle and is built in the geometrical and decorated styles.

The angle-buttressed four-stage tower has three 15th-century shields on the west face, a stair turret on the north side, pointed two-light bell openings, and an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. The four-bay nave has a steep roof. The two-bay north aisle and projecting chapel to the east have windows with decorated tracery, parapets, and low-pitched roofs. The similar four-bay south aisle has buttressed bays and a gabled porch. The taller, diagonally-buttressed transepts feature geometrical-tracery windows, parapets, and low-pitched roofs. The tall three-bay chancel, with aisles on the west and central bays, has elaborate detailing and geometrical-tracery windows. The chancel has a steep roof with an iron crest on the ridge, and the low pent roofs to the aisles.

Inside the nave, round and octagonal piers alternate, supporting four chamfered pointed arches. A mid-height floor was inserted into the three western bays in 1985. There are two mutilated recumbent effigies of knights in niches at the west end, possibly depicting Robert Fitzwilliam, who died in 1316, and another with a cylindrical helmet. An aedicular wall monument commemorates James Bland, who died in 1769. Pointed arches lead into the transepts. The elaborately-detailed chancel features an arch of two roll-moulded orders, and two-bay aisle arcades with pointed arches on compound piers, and identical single arches on the west returns of the aisles facing the transepts. Arch-braced roof trusses are found in the nave and chancel. Rear arches have detached colonnettes. Other features include a pointed piscina, a three-arch sedilia, and an encaustic-tiled floor. A crucifixion window by Wailes, dating from 1865, is located in the east wall. A small pre-Conquest cross shaft fragment, with interlace, is situated in the porch.