Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

This is a parish church of early 14th-century date with a 15th-century west tower and early 18th-century alterations. It was restored in 1888 by Osborn and Reading of Birmingham. The building is constructed of random rubble with freestone dressings, with a slate roof over the nave and a lead-covered roof over the chancel.

The plan comprises a west tower, a three-bay nave (a north aisle was removed in the early 18th century) with a north porch, and a three-bay chancel with a south vestry.

The west tower has three stages marked by strings with a moulded plinth. Diagonal buttresses rise to the western corners and support a crenellated parapet with continuous moulded coping. The west window of the first stage comprises three cinquefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery and a moulded surround with hood mould returned to the sides as a string. The second stage contains a west window of a pair of lancets recessed within a rectangular frame with chamfered edges. The belfry openings are segmental and pointed, each of two lights with returned hood moulds.

On the south side of the nave, buttresses stand at each extremity. The western buttress has a 17th or 18th-century bronze sundial fixed to it, featuring a centrepiece of a coat of arms with a pair of lions rampant as supporters, and figures within semi-circular arches above and to the sides. The south door is blocked and has either a four-centred arch or a two-centred drop arch. An 18th-century window with a semi-circular head and brick surround is placed to the left of this; to the right are two 19th-century windows with segmental-pointed heads and Y-tracery. On the north side, the blocked arcade is still visible with inserted 18th-century windows similar to that at the west end of the south front. The westernmost northern window has a brick apron and stone imposts. The north porch is of 18th-century date, constructed of brick with a semi-circular arch on stone imposts and a gabled roof.

The chancel contains a three-light pointed east window with intersecting tracery, a concave quarter-round-moulded surround, and a hollow chamfered hood terminating in heads. On the north side, to the left of centre, is a two-centred window with Y-tracery and concave quarter-round-moulded surround; to the right is a blocked window and to the left a tall blocked window or doorway with its sill approximately two feet off the ground. Buttresses stand at the bay divisions and diagonally placed buttresses occur at the eastern corners.

In the interior, the tower arch is two-centred with a double ogee-moulded surround and an inner arch with wave surround springing from moulded corbels. The chancel arch is two-centred with continuous outer chamfer and an inner chamfered arch springing from moulded corbels. The nave is covered by an 18th-century king-post roof of relatively low pitch, strengthened by posts standing on corbels from which carved braces extend to the tie beams. On the north side of the chancel is an arcade of one and a half bays with double chamfered arches springing from octagonal columns with moulded capitals. The chancel roof is a 19th-century king-post roof with panel tracery between the tie beams and the roof.

The font dates from 1906 and takes the form of an angel holding a shell-shaped basin on a marble base inscribed "SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME". The pews are of 18th-century date with matching dado along the side walls; these were originally box pews but the doors have been removed. An 18th-century hexagonal pulpit has raised and fielded panels.

A simple rood screen forms a three-bay arcade on cylindrical columns with moulded caps and simple tracery in the spandrels. The priests bench is dated 1615 and is attached to choir stalls with carved panels of stylized foliage and bench ends surmounted by poppy heads. An 18th-century dado extends around the walls of the sanctuary; in the south wall is a piscina with moulded surround and trefoiled head springing from moulded corbels. An early 17th-century Gothic oak reredos comprises four panels, each framed by a semi-circular arch on cylindrical shafts and containing four lancets and debased Perpendicular tracery beneath a rose of swirling mouchettes. An early 18th-century wrought iron altar rail is decorated with grapes and vine leaves.

The monuments include two incised slabs, one of 1404 or earlier. Martha Lambe, died 1758, is commemorated by a tablet with eared surround and swan neck pediment. Judith Lambe, died 1750, has a tablet with raised and eared surround surmounted by an urn spouting flame. Sir Clobery and Elizabeth Noel, died 1733 and 1743, are commemorated by a tablet with open pediment, side scrolls and two portrait medallions facing each other. Thomas Noell, died 1756, Commander of the Princess Louisa and mortally wounded in a sea battle with the French near Minorca, has a large monument with a projecting base surmounted by an obelisk which acts as the background to an achievement of arms within which are superimposed an anchor, a cannon and other instruments of war. Sir William Noel, died 1697, is commemorated by a large wall monument with gadrooned base, broken semi-circular pediment containing a coat of arms flanked by festoons and surmounted by an urn spouting flame. Sir William Noell, died 1675, has square pilasters with egg and dart friezes and an open segmental pediment containing a coat of arms, with a half reclining effigy of Sir William on a chest in front. Sir Edward Noel, died 1774, is commemorated by a monument with two large fluted urns flanking a tree and an open segmental pediment surmounted by a lamp spouting flame.

The east and south windows of the chancel are by Kempe, both dating to 1894.