Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church on the west side of Somerby High Street. The building dates from the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries and was restored in 1714, 1763, 1865, and again in 1883 when the chancel was restored by R. W. Johnson. A north transept (vestry) was added by T. Bown in 1887. The church is constructed of coursed and squared ironstone with limestone ashlar dressings, with plain tile and lead roofs. 19th-century lateral and octagonal gable stone stacks are present.

The plan consists of a central tower with spire, nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, north transept, chancel, and south porch.

The central tower is three stages tall, with a moulded sill band, two string courses, moulded eaves cornice with four gargoyles, crenellated parapet and four corner buttresses with setoffs. The south face has a restored Decorated double lancet with a stair light above. The bell stage features on each face a 14th-century double lancet bell opening with hood mould. A datestone on the south side is inscribed '1714'. An east-facing clock is present. The spire is setback and octagonal with two tiers of gabled lucarnes containing crosses and double lancet openings, topped by a finial and weathercock.

The nave has three bays and a coped west gable with central stack. The west end contains a Geometrical triple lancet with hood mould. The clerestory has three double lancets with four-centred arched heads on each side (all of 1865). The unbuttressed north aisle comprises four bays with chamfered plinth. Its west end has a Decorated triple lancet with flat head. The north side displays a blocked cove-moulded 14th-century doorway flanked to the left by a Decorated triple lancet with cusped intersecting tracery and to the right by a Decorated double lancet with flat head. Beyond to the left is a reticulated triple lancet. The windows are of 1865, all with hood moulds and stops.

The north transept has a moulded plinth and sill band, with a north gable featuring double gabled flanking buttresses. The north gable displays a Decorated triple lancet with hood mould and mask stops. The east side has a roll-moulded doorway.

The unbuttressed chancel comprises two bays with sill band, moulded eaves, and moulded parapet and gable with cross. The north side has a 14th-century Decorated double lancet flanked to the left by a chamfered round-headed doorway and to the right by a 13th-century chamfered low side lancet. The east end contains a Geometrical triple lancet. The south side has two restored 14th-century Decorated double lancets flanked to the west by a small low side double lancet with flat head. All openings have hood moulds.

The unbuttressed south aisle has four bays with an off-centre porch flanked to the west by a Decorated double lancet with segmental pointed head and to the east by two similar double lancets. East and west ends each have a Decorated double lancet. The windows are of 1865 with hood moulds and stops.

The south porch has a coped gable with cross and a moulded 14th-century doorway with hood mould, responds and mask stops, in poor condition.

Interior

The interior retains stone benches and 19th-century common rafter roofing. The south doorway, dating to around 1300, features a fillet-moulded head and shafts with dogtooth ornament, hood mould and mask stops. The tower base has double-chamfered arches to east and west, with a chamfered doorway (circa 1300) to the west above and to the right.

The nave west end contains a stained glass window of 1864. The north arcade (mid-13th century) has four bays with square piers and responds featuring four corner shafts, lobed bases and various stiff leaf capitals. The double-chamfered and rebated arches have hood moulds with mask crests and stops. The similar south arcade dates to 1865. A 19th-century low-pitched roof with king post trusses covers the nave. The north aisle has a central north side window with late 19th-century stained glass. The east end contains a chamfered early 14th-century tomb recess. The roof features arch braces supported on early 14th-century mask corbels.

The chancel north side has two stained glass windows of around 1882. The east end displays a late 19th-century traceried panelled alabaster reredos and a stained glass window of 1883 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The south side has a cusped 13th-century piscina with hood mould to the east, and cusped ogee-headed triple sedilia containing a re-set head from an incised slab. A stained glass eastern window of 1891 by Lavers and Westlake is present, along with two windows of late 19th-century stained glass. The roof is 19th-century principal rafter with arch braces and wall shafts on mask corbels.

The south aisle east end has a chamfered piscina with dogtooth to the left and a stained glass window of 1900. The south side contains two stained glass windows (circa 1918) and a stained glass memorial window of 1969 to the west. The roof is 19th-century lean-to with arch braces on 14th-century corbels.

Fittings of 1865 include traceried stalls with scrolled ends, plain pine benches and an octagonal ashlar and alabaster pulpit. A 18th-century carved chest with drawer, 17th-century poppyhead, brass eagle lectern of 1891 are also present. A late 13th-century octagonal font has three gabled blind arches with crockets and masks, supported on eight round shafts.

Monuments include an early 18th-century marble tablet with apron and scrolled crest, an obelisk tablet with crest of 1759, a corniced tablet of 1779, a Classical tablet with urn of 1804, two mid-19th-century tablets, four 19th-century brasses, four 20th-century brasses, and a brass of 1661 referring to benefactions. A pedimented wooden war memorial tablet of 1918 and a slate war memorial tablet of around 1960 are also present.