Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church with origins in the early 12th century, substantially enlarged and rebuilt over subsequent centuries. The church comprises an early 12th-century nave with a later 12th-century nave arcade; a 12th-century chancel with 14th-century south and east sides; a 14th-century tower, south arcade and aisle; a 15th-century north aisle with refacing and buttresses to the lower stage of the tower; and a north chapel rebuilt in the early 18th century. The chancel arch was remodelled in 1720. Major restorations undertaken in 1869–70 by Ewan Christian included work on the chancel and installation of new roofs.

The exterior uses random cobbles to the tower, west end of nave, east wall of north chapel, and north wall of chancel. Limestone ashlar is used on the remainder of the chancel, tower parapet, south and east walls of south aisle, and north wall of north aisle. Red brick in English bond appears on the north and east walls of north chapel, and in English garden wall bond on the west end of the aisles and blocking of the north and south tower arches. The north aisle parapet is rendered brick. Limestone ashlar dressings are used throughout. The north chapel has a lead roof; the remainder has slate roofs.

The plan comprises a west tower with blocked north and south arches; a nave with a 2-bay north arcade and 3-bay south arcade; 3-bay aisles with north and south doors; and a 3-bay chancel with a single-bay north chapel.

The tower is in three stages with a moulded plinth. The first stage has angle buttresses with offsets, diagonal buttresses above, and stair-lighting slits to the south-west angle. A pointed 3-light west window with Perpendicular tracery and hoodmould is set above a small ogee-headed niche with a carved angel corbel and flanking pinnacled buttress shafts. Blocked pointed arches with moulded string courses appear to north and south. The second stage contains a small square-headed south window and a moulded string course. Pointed 2-light traceried belfry openings with wooden louvres are set beneath a moulded string course, a gargoyle to the west, and a coped embattled parapet.

The nave displays visible quoins and a former roof line to the west. The north aisle has buttresses with offsets between bays; a pointed moulded door of 2 orders beneath an ogee hoodmould with carved finial, flanked by buttress shafts with finials; a moulded sill string course; and square-headed 3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery. The parapet is stone-coped to the north and crow-stepped to the west. The south aisle has a restored plinth and buttresses with offsets to angles and between bays; a restored pointed moulded door of 2 orders with hoodmould and flanking buttress shafts; a roll-moulded sill string course; segmental-pointed 3-light south and east windows with reticulated tracery, fillet-moulded reveals, and partly-restored moulded mullions; a restored moulded string course; and a coped parapet to the south and crow-stepped parapet to the west.

The chancel's south side has buttresses with offsets to angles and between bays, full-height segmental-arched blind arcading, a pointed wave-moulded door, and a square-headed 3-light trefoiled window above flanked by pointed 2-light traceried windows (that to the left with fillet-moulded tracery, that to the right with double-chamfered reveal). The north side has a blocked segmental-pointed door. A large fine pointed 4-light east window with curvilinear tracery is set in a fillet-moulded reveal with moulded sill string course, hoodmould, and headstops.

The north chapel has chamfered quoins and a chamfered round-headed west door with raised imposts and a keystone carved with a skull and cross-bones in relief. A square-headed 2-light window above has incised spandrels. The east window is round-headed with moulded reveal, raised imposts, and wooden Y-tracery. An ashlar band, stone-coped parapet, and gable complete the external treatment.

Interior

The nave preserves a segment of an 11th-century round-headed north window with scalloped capital (shaft missing) supporting a section of roll-moulded arch. A section of former 11th-century corbel table with 4 corbels to the east (3 carved as heads) and one reset carved head corbel to the west is visible.

The north arcade comprises plain, slightly-pointed arches on cylindrical piers and responds with moulded bases, plain moulded capitals, square abaci, and plinths. The south arcade has pointed double-chamfered arches dying into single chamfers, on octagonal piers and responds with plain moulded capitals and bases incorporating moulded brackets. Tall triple-chamfered tower arches to east, north, and south spring from octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases similar to those of the south aisle.

The north aisle contains a section of segmental chamfered arch to the west and a steeply-pointed double-chamfered east arch to the north chapel. The south aisle has a small trefoiled piscina with stiff-leaf carving in the spandrels. Windows to the aisles have moulded reveals and mullions, those to the north being especially ornate.

The chancel arch is a 19th-century pointed moulded design. The south side of the chancel contains a section of plain 11th to 12th-century sedilia with hollowed back and plain moulded arm-rest to a single seat, cut by a fine 14th-century triple sedilia with flanking colonettes supporting tall buttress shafts with crocketed pinnacles and a large blind crocketed ogee arch with curvilinear tracery and finely-carved finial. A fine trefoiled ogee-headed piscina with a nodding crocketed arch, mutilated animal stops, a grotesque finial on the window sill above, and stiff-leaf ornament to the bowl is also present.

The north side of the chancel has a blocked pointed wave-moulded door and a twin arcade to the north chapel comprising pointed double-chamfered arches on a partly-restored octagonal pier and responds with plain moulded capitals and bases.

The north chapel, dedicated to St John of Beverley, contains a double piscina with roll-moulded rounded-trefoil arches. A fine composite chest tomb of Sir John Constable dated to 1451 or 1477 features an alabaster effigy of a praying knight with feet on a hound and head on a dragon. The effigy is set on a reused black marble matrix with indents for a brass border, shields, and knight. The chest has an ashlar base and alabaster relief panels with crocketed ogee arches and flanking buttress shafts. The north and south sides display alternating paterae and angels holding shields; the east and west ends show figures of St Christopher and the Madonna and Child, with inserted ashlar quatrefoil panels.

A marble wall tablet in the south aisle to Thomas Owst and others, dated c1816, is by John Earle of Hull, featuring a fluted pilastered surround and draped urn. A tablet of similar design commemorates Isabell Owst and others, dated c1843. A good octagonal oak pulpit dated 1634 has carved panels and rails. The font is a 19th-century octagonal design.

The fine 14th-century detailing in the chancel is similar to that at St Patrick's, Patrington and St Mary's, Welwick. The distinctive south arcade and tower arch mouldings also resemble those at Welwick. A sketch hanging in the porch depicts the church prior to its 19th-century restoration.