Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

This is a parish church with 14th-century origins, substantially rebuilt and modified over subsequent centuries. The building received major restoration work in 1866–1867 (chancel) and 1868–1869 (body of church) by the architect G G Scott.

The church is constructed of ironstone ashlar with limestone dressings. The chancel roof is of Swithland slate, whilst the body of the church has lead and copper roofs. The plan comprises a chancel with vestry and organ chamber, an aisled nave, north and south transepts (the south transept having a western aisle), a south porch, and a western tower.

The chancel is of two bays. The east window is a 3-light opening with reticulated tracery. To the southeast is a 3-light window with intersecting tracery and cusped heads to the lights, whilst the southwest window has two lights with three quatrefoils to the head and ogee-arched heads to the lights. All feature hood moulds and label stops. The priest's door to the south has a hollow chamfer, roll and wave mouldings to its hood mould. The 19th-century vestry and organ chamber occupy the north side of the chancel, with Swithland slate roofs. The vestry has a 2-light east window and double-chamfered door, whilst the organ chamber has a 2-light north window with chamfered mullion.

The nave clerestory contains four windows of 3-light type with four-centred heads, except for two 2-light windows above the transepts, which have straight heads and round-arched lights. The north transept features a 3-light north window with four-centred heads and cinquefoil-headed lights, with hood mould and label stops. The north aisle has a 3-light north window with chamfered mullions and straight head, a double-chamfered north door with moulded imposts, and a 3-light west-end window with straight head and reticulated tracery.

The south transept contains a 3-light east window and a 3-light south window, both with reticulated tracery and mouchettes, the latter having a small quatrefoil to the head. Both carry hood moulds. The south window of the west aisle of the transept has two cinquefoil-headed lights with a pointed trefoil to the head within a spherical triangle, and a hood mould.

A lean-to porch is attached to the west aisle of the south transept. The south door features roll moulding flanked by ballflower trails in hollow chamfers, with hood mould and label stops. The porch itself has a double-chamfered doorway with polygonal responds and a 2-light west window with straight head and chamfered mullion.

The south aisle contains a 2-light southwest window with Y tracery and a 2-light west window with heads to the lights and vesica piscis to the heads with quatrefoil cusping within; both carry hood moulds.

The three-stage tower has a roll-moulded and chamfered doorway with quatrefoiled spandrels in a moulded rectangular surround with hood mould. Above is a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and hood mould with label stops. A niche with an ogee-arched head is positioned above this window. The middle stage features small 2-light windows to the north and west, each with hood moulds and label stops. The bell chamber has 2-light openings with cusped tracery and hood moulds. The parapet is battlemented with crocketed pinnacles to the angles, gargoyles, and a frieze below featuring cusped lozenges alternating with shields in quatrefoils. Above rises a recessed crocketed spire with two tiers of lucarnes in alternating directions. The tower is distinguished by very large diagonal offset buttresses.

The aisles feature clasping buttress projections to their west angles, topped by octagonal panelled pinnacles; that to the north aisle bears a tiny ogee-headed niche facing west. The nave, aisles, transepts and porch all have battlemented parapets. The clerestory has crocketed angle pinnacles and ballflower ornament to the base of the parapet on the south side. The south transept, porch and aisle likewise display ballflower ornament at the base of their parapets. The transept and south transept aisle have clasping buttresses to their angles, which are polygonal above the string course and topped with stepped pinnacles bearing foliated crosses facing east. The chancel has a plain stone-coped parapet with offset buttresses to its angles and between bays to the south.

Interior

The chancel interior contains reredos panelling incorporating Jacobean carved panels. To the south wall is a piscina with cusped head and quatrefoil drain. Adjacent are three-seat sedilia with many-moulded openings featuring ogee-arched heads, and an aumbry above, which may represent a former Easter Sepulchre, with sunk quadrant moulding to the aumbry and two ogee arches to the head of the recess below. The former 3-light north window of the chancel, now opening into the organ chamber, has intersecting tracery.

The chancel is separated from the nave by a double-chamfered arch with semicircular responds, moulded capitals and polygonal abaci.

The nave has three-bay arcades. The north arcade features double-chamfered arches with circular piers and semi-circular responds bearing moulded capitals. The south arcade has octagonal piers and polygonal responds. Some stiff-leaf ornament is visible on the capital of the northeast respond. The nave roof is Perpendicular in style, with angels to the principals perched upon carved stone corbels and holding musical instruments.

The north transept contains a piscina with credence shelf and round-headed arch decorated with chevron ornament, and has a Perpendicular roof. The south transept features a piscina with attached shafts and nailhead ornament to the head.

The west aisle of the south transept has a two-bay arcade with a central octagonal pier and double-chamfered arches. The tower is flanked by the west ends of the aisles and has double-chamfered arches to three sides. The main arch between the tower and nave features polygonal responds with brattished capitals. The tower contains a stone vault with a circular central opening and diagonal and ridge ribs.

A 15th-century rood screen spans the nave with broad one-light divisions, ogee arches and tracery. A 15th-century bench end survives in partial form, retaining original blue and red coloured decoration.

Three portions of a Saxon cross are preserved within the church, decorated with scrollwork. One stone bears a dragon, whilst another shows a figure giving blessing.

Stained-glass windows are present in the chancel, south transept and south aisle. The south transept window dates to 1880 and was made by Ward and Hughes. The south window of the transept aisle dates to 1873 and was made by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake.

Monuments

A slate wall monument in the vestry commemorates Mary Galloway, who died in 1820, and is signed by Hull and Pollard.

Three slate wall monuments occupy the south transept, each with gilded incised circular inscription panels dating to the late 18th century. That to the left is signed JS/Frisby, the middle one is signed Burton, and that to the right is signed W Cox.