Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints, Risley, Derby Road

This parish church was built in 1593 for Sir Michael Willoughby. A north aisle and vestry were added in 1841, when the church was also restored and repaired.

The building is constructed of ashlar and coursed squared stone with stone dressings. It has a plinth and moulded eaves stringcourse to the nave. The shallow pitched slate roofs are hidden by low parapets. The plan consists of a west tower, combined nave and chancel, with a large north aisle and vestry to the side.

The west tower has two stages, with the upper stage slightly corbelled out. The first stage is blank except for a small lancet window to the west. The second stage has Y-tracery windows and four-centred arched louvred bell openings in deeply chamfered surrounds with returned hoodmoulds on all sides. Above is a moulded eaves stringcourse with a blocking course topped by chamfered copings. Each corner has a crocketed pinnacle. A slight gap separates the tower from the north aisle.

The west elevation of the aisle has stepped buttresses either side of a central 3-light, four-centred arched window with cusped ogee-headed lights and pierced spandrels, also with hoodmould and carved head stops. The gable above has ridgeback copings and a stone ridge cross. The north elevation of the aisle has two 3-light intersecting tracery four-centred arched windows with cavetto moulded mullions and surrounds, with returned hoodmoulds. The vestry is attached to the east and has a flat-headed 3-light window to the east. Facing south is a four-centred arched doorcase with foliage labelstops to the hoodmould and a plank door.

The east elevation of the chancel has angle buttresses either side and a small central Y-tracery window with hoodmould. The south elevation has two 3-light semi-circular headed windows with cavetto moulded mullions and surrounds, which are the originals of those copied on the north aisle. To the west of each window is a stepped full-height buttress reaching to the top of the parapets. Beyond to the west is the moulded, four-centred arched south door with its original studded wooden door. Above a returned hoodmould is a carved stone plaque with dripmould, bearing the Willoughby coat of arms and the date 1593. The west end of the nave has a stepped full-height angle buttress and a blank west wall.

The interior has a two-bay 1841 arcade with wide, double-chamfered, four-centred arches on octagonal piers and responds. These have moulded capitals and bases. All roofs are 19th century. The tower arch is narrow with pointed arches at two different levels. The chancel is separated from the nave by a simple oak rood screen with nicely carved heads to the centre and ends of the top rail. The west end of the north aisle has a wide moulded four-centred arch leading through to the organ bay, and the west end of the aisle has a small pointed door through to the vestry.

The chancel contains an early 18th-century column on vase baluster altar rail and two 19th-century painted commandment plaques either side of the altar. The nave has 1841 plain pews and an octagonal wooden pulpit with a frieze of cusped ogee-headed openings to the top. At the west end of the nave stands an exceptional late 16th-century alabaster font with a moulded base, thick tapering stem with strapwork, and an octagonal bowl with alternating crest and strapwork designs. Above the tower arch is a hatchment, probably of similar date, with painted figures carved in relief.

Memorials include a brass plaque in the chancel to Michael Willoughby, who died in January 1591. Two slate and white marble wall memorials in the chancel of circa 1859 and 1827 commemorate John Hancock Hall, his wife and children. Two more slate and marble memorials in the nave date to 1928 and circa 1843, commemorating William Hodgkinson. A simple slate memorial of circa 1798 is dedicated to the wife of Joseph Cocker, and there are two enamelled brass plaques to members of the Harrison family. To the west of the door is a large painting of Christ, dated 1842 and signed 'Kelazerges'.

The chancel west window, the south nave windows and the tower lancet all contain mid-19th-century stained glass. The north aisle windows have stained glass of circa 1875 and circa 1918.