Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

This redundant parish church dates from the 15th century and stands at Harewood, off Church Lane. It was substantially restored in 1793 and again in 1862–63 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The building is constructed of well-coursed gritstone with a Westmorland green-slate roof and comprises a west tower, nave with aisles, south porch, chancel, and north vestry. The architectural style is Perpendicular.

The exterior is defined by a plinth, ground-floor band, and sill band, with angle buttresses featuring offsets and crocketed gablets at all corners. The west front features a low, squat tower embraced by the aisles, which have lean-to roofs. The tower displays a pointed-arched doorway of three orders with hoodmould and carved-face stops, above which rises a 5-light west window with panel tracery. Buttresses mark the junctions with the aisles. A chamfered band and recessed second stage contains a 2-light belfry window on each face; the south window incorporates a large clock face. An embattled parapet with corner rainwater chutes crowns the tower.

The aisles contain 3-light windows and clearly show an earlier roof line beneath the 19th-century embattled parapet. There are seven bays to the aisles. A 2-light window sits to the left of the 18th-century porch, which has a 2-centred arched doorway with a sundial in the apex of the gable engraved "Robert Smith 1775". A fine inner doorway has a moulded surround with broach stops, with the roof line of the earlier porch visible above. The 3-light windows throughout feature cusped lights and panel tracery with hoodmoulds decorated with medieval carved-face stops. The aisles are articulated by offset buttresses with gablets; one is engraved with a mass-dial. A band and parapet with Gothic roll-moulded coping runs across. The 3-light east windows in the angle with the chancel are set within an embattled parapet.

The chancel contains a single 3-light window and is set at an angle with the north aisle. A flat-roofed square vestry projects from this angle. The 5-light east window, set in the apex of an embattled gable, features Gothick glazed quatrefoils dating to around 1793. Buttresses capped by crocketed pinnacles complete the composition.

Interior

The tower is penetrated by three tall pointed arches leading directly into the four-bay nave, which features graceful pointed-arched arcades carried on tall octagonal columns without capitals. The chamfers of these columns run directly into the two orders of the arches. A 19th-century roof, carried on corbels at the junction of the earlier roof line, was raised five courses. A continuous moulded sill band runs round the aisle windows.

The eastern two bays of the aisles are occupied by chantry chapels: the Gascoigne and Redman chapels. Both are separated from the aisle by tall pointed arches in line with the chancel arch, and each contains niches flanking the east window. The Gascoigne (south) chapel includes a tomb recess and semi-octagonal piscina.

The church's principal glory is a set of medieval alabaster monuments, restored between 1979 and 1981. Six recumbent couples rest on tomb chests, representing the largest collection of alabaster monuments in any parish church within the dates 1419 to 1510. One figure depicts Sir William Gascoigne, Lord Chief Justice, in judge's robes, dating to around 1419. All the figures are members of families connected with the owners of land now forming the Harewood Estate. A fine wall monument to Sir Thomas Denison, dating to around 1765, was created by N. Hedges of London.

The furnishings include a Norman font with a shallow bowl and rope-moulded foot on a later base. A 19th-century octagonal pulpit in high Victorian Gothic style features shafted marble columns and finely carved stone panels. An oak-panelled sanctuary dates to around 1920. The altar rail and gates are a memorial to King George V, presented by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, incorporating the insignia of the Orders of the British Empire, the Thistle, the Garter, and St. Patrick.

The church is in the care of the Redundant Churches Fund.