Church of All Saints

Church of All Saints

This parish church in Sudbury originated in the 12th century and was substantially developed in the early 14th and early 15th centuries. It was modified in 1827 and underwent extensive restoration between 1872 and 1875 by the architect George Devey. The building is constructed of sandstone ashlar with lead roofs and stone coped gables.

The church comprises a low west tower with diagonal buttresses, a clerestoried nave with north and south aisles, a south porch, a chancel, and a north chapel.

The west tower is topped with a moulded stringcourse at the level of the west window arch springing. The two-light west window features renewed Decorated tracery with a hoodmould that runs continuously with the stringcourse. Two-light bell-openings on each face display simple Decorated tracery. Eight short pinnacles and an 18th-century balustrade crown the tower. The gabled south porch and aisle have plain parapets, with a two-light Decorated-style west window. The south side features a three-light Perpendicular-style east window and two plain square-headed three-light windows with Decorated-style tracery, with angle buttresses and one intermediate buttress. The north aisle is also gabled with a plain parapet and similar west window. On the north side a blocked 14th-century ogee-headed doorway with moulded hoodmould is visible, above which sits a carved relief of an angel. A 15th-century four-light window under a triangular head with transom occupies this elevation. A projecting vestry and organ chamber of 1827 feature Decorated-style windows. The north chapel has a bricked-up square-headed north window and a two-light Decorated-style east window with transom and a small quatrefoil window above.

The chancel has a steeply pitched roof and two square-headed two-light south windows with transom and ogee lights, separated by a low buttress and priests' doorway. An impressive six-light early 14th-century-style east window dominates the east end. The nave clerestory is embattled with three two-light windows featuring ogee-headed lights under flat heads. The restored 12th-century south doorway displays a continuous roll moulding and one order of colonnettes. It is fitted with a studded plank door with iron C-hinges.

Interior

The interior contains three-bay north and south arcades with double chamfered arches and hoodmoulds. The north arcade stands on circular piers; the south arcade on octagonal capitals decorated with nailhead patterns. The arcades, probably early 14th-century in origin, appear 19th-century in their present form. A double chamfered tower arch features capitals with nailhead decoration. The chancel arch is double chamfered, dying into the imposts. A double chamfered arch to the organ chamber has a coved parapet wall forming a balcony, with a small much-restored 12th-century window to its right. A double chamfered arch from the north aisle to the north chapel springs from corbels with nailhead decoration. A moulded four-centred arch leads to the inner chapel. The chancel features a pointed wooden tunnel vault. The nave and aisles have panelled roofs with tie beams and curved braces on angel corbels, all dating from the 1872 restoration.

Furnishings and Monuments

The church contains an important series of monuments spanning centuries. In the south porch are marble tablets with black inlay lettering dating to around 1646. The chancel north displays a marble tablet to Thomas Freer, died 1904, with carved relief. A brass to the fifth Baron Vernon, died 1866, by Hart, Son Peard and Co of London, is located in the nave north. The north aisle contains an elaborate neo-Quattrocento tablet of around 1898 to the sixth Baron Vernon and a tablet with heavy bolection moulded surround to Robert Smith, died 1721.

The north chapel houses a monument to John Vernon, died 1600, and his wife Mary, died 1622, with Mary positioned on a tomb chest and John depicted above under an arch between baluster columns. Two defaced effigies of women date to around 1300. Other monuments include a tablet to George Vernon, died 1780, and a plain tablet to Anne Vernon, died 1837, by Hall. A fine aedicule wall tablet to George Vernon, died 1702, with coat of arms above was created by Edward Stanton and erected in 1710. A large wall tablet commemorates St Thomas Vernon, died 1709. Margaret Vernon, died 1675, is memorialised with a freestanding monument featuring an urn on a pedestal, possibly by Edward Pierce.

The south aisle contains five wall tablets: to George and Frances Vernon, died 1835 and 1837, rendered as Grecian twin stelae in relief by John Francis of London; to Martha Vernon, died 1808, and Cathaline Vernon, died 1776, in identical Grecian-style tablets; to Henry Vernon, died 1829, in Gothic style; and to two Vernon children, died 1862, featuring a pretty oval relief showing the two children asleep with trailing blossom, with a brass beneath by Waller.

The chancel features a rich 19th-century tiled floor and a 14th-century cusped ogee piscina on the south side. A 19th-century alabaster reredos and 19th-century woodwork are present, along with a Victorian Gothic font.

The east window contains stained glass given in 1849 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, displaying bright colours, flat and pictorial figure scenes set in architectural settings. The glass was later toned down by application of a semi-opaque coating to the exterior, and is said to be by a German artist. Seven other late 19th-century stained glass windows are present. Some of the south aisle windows may be by Burlison and Grylls.