Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints, Ockbrook

A parish church combining a late 12th and early 14th century tower with a main body rebuilt between 1800 and 1835, with minor 20th century alterations. The building comprises a western steeple, nave with large south aisle, chancel with north organ bay, and western vestry to the north of the tower.

The tower is of coursed squared stone, four stages in height with roll moulded stringcourses between each stage, each progressively narrower than the one below. The tower's west elevation features an 18th century doorcase with double raised and fielded panelled doors and moulded lintel with raised keystone. The south elevation displays a semi-circular headed 12th century window. The second stage is blank except for a 19th century lancet to the south side. The third stage has pilaster strips to all sides and a 12th century semi-circular headed window to the west. The fourth stage has double lancet louvred bell openings set in zigzag pointed arches to all sides, each with a carved corbel head. Above rises a large 14th century broached stone spire with weathervane. A large stepped buttress against the north-east corner of the tower probably represents remains of the earlier nave. Attached to the north of the tower is a single storey brick vestry with a pointed Y-tracery window to the north.

The remainder of the church is built of red brick with stone dressings and plinth. The north elevation of the nave has three tall pointed panel tracery windows in brick arches, above which runs a simple coved eaves band. The south nave aisle has three similarly detailed pointed panel-type tracery windows in deep recessed surrounds. The western wall of the aisle is blank. The chancel has a pedimented advanced east end with a central 3-light intersecting tracery window and bears the inscribed date MDCCCIII on its eaves band. The south elevation of the chancel has a blocked doorcase to the west and a pointed Y-tracery window beyond it. A short piece of 20th century brick wall is attached to the east of the tower, with a Y-tracery pointed window behind and a lean-to extension below. The north organ bay has a pedimented bay with central pointed Y-tracery window. Slate roofs cover the nave and nave aisle with shallow pitched leaded roofs to the chancel and vestry.

The interior is very simple. Panelled galleries occupy the west end of the nave on either side of a pointed moulded doorcase into the tower. There is no chancel arch, with only tall thin iron columns separating the nave from the south aisle. The chancel contains a much restored early 16th century screen from Wigston Hospital, Leicester, comprising a panelled base with crocketed ogee headed open panels above decorated with pierced panel tracery. Re-set pieces from this screen are also used in the altar rails, choir stalls, and panelling behind the altar. The north side of the chancel has a large organ bay with a small door to its east side, similarly panelled. An enamelled brass plaque west of the organ records that Joseph Birkinshaw converted the Pares family vault into an organ bay in 1928.

The nave contains a late 19th century octagonal timber pulpit with polished marble colonnettes and a 12th century circular stone font with intersecting arcading. The south wall of the chancel has three early 19th century wall memorials to members of the Pares family, all by Westmacott and designed as a set, each with a classical figure at the base. Two late 19th century enamelled brass wall memorials also occupy the chancel. The south aisle contains a similar brass memorial to Thomas Sneap, a white marble wall war memorial, and a Gothic memorial of circa 1852 to Samuel Hey. At the west end of the aisle is a slate plaque commemorating the church's enlargement in 1835, with a similar slate plaque listing charities on the west wall of the nave. The north wall of the nave displays a black and white marble memorial to Henry Swindell who died 1801, featuring an obelisk top with a bust in relief to the centre, and a slate and marble memorial to John Winterton who died 1906, along with two early 20th century brass plaques.

The chancel's east window contains stained glass by Edward Payne of 1968. The north chancel window has stained glass by H H and B of Nottingham of circa 1927, whilst the south chancel window contains late 19th century Chartres style stained glass. The two eastern windows of the south aisle have stained glass, the easternmost of circa 1885 dedicated to Harriette Towle by brass plaque below, and the central one of circa 1900 also with a brass dedication plaque below. The central north window has a brass plaque recording its donation by Joseph Birkinshaw in 1931, and the eastern north window has stained glass of circa 1898. The tower contains a late 19th century hatchment and two brass plaques: one recording the restoration of the spire, tower and belfry in 1890, and another recording the donation of bells and a further restoration of the tower in 1927.