Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church in West Ashby, primarily dating from the early 12th century, around 1200, with significant late 14th-century and 15th-century additions. The building was restored in 1872–3 by the architect Ewan Christian. It is constructed of green sandstone rubble blocks with limestone ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs with decorative ridge tiles.

The church comprises a west tower, nave with north aisle and south porch, and chancel. The 15th-century west tower is the most prominent feature, with five stages, angle buttresses, and a rectangular stair turret on the south-east with two slit lights and three string courses. The moulded plinth and string course run around the base. A tall 19th-century west window has a pointed head, three pointed lights, cusped tracery and hood mould. Above this runs a moulded string course with single small rectangular windows on the west and south sides. A clock is mounted on the second stage on the east side. The bell stage is defined by a moulded string course and has bell openings on all four sides, each featuring a pointed head, two cusped pointed lights, panel tracery with quatrefoil, hood mould and head label stops. Large projecting corner gargoyles, battlements and ornate corner pinnacles crown the tower, with moulded eaves above.

The north aisle is 14th-century at its west end, with plinth and moulded string course. A pointed window features two cusped pointed lights, quatrefoil and hood mould. The north side has a 15th-century doorway to the west with pointed head, continuous moulded surround, hood mould and plank door. Three three-stage buttresses alternate with two rectangular 14th-century windows, each with three cusped, pointed and ogee-headed lights with flowing tracery and hood mould. The aisle has 19th-century corbelled eaves. At the east end of the north aisle stands a rectangular three-light window with cusped, pointed and ogee-headed lights, flowing tracery, hood mould and label stops.

The chancel contains a single pointed 19th-century window with three ogee-headed lights, flowing tracery, hood mould and label stops on its south side. The east end has a moulded string course running beneath a 19th-century east window with three cusped pointed lights, three cusped oculi above, hood mould and head label stops. The south side of the chancel continues with the nave and has two triangular-headed windows, both with two cusped ogee-headed lights and quatrefoil. A rectangular late 14th-century window to the left has three cusped ogee-headed lights, hood mould and label stops. A pointed early 15th-century window beyond features three cusped, pointed and ogee-headed lights, flowing tracery and hood mould. The 15th-century gabled porch on the south side was restored in the 19th century. It has a pointed south doorway with polygonal jambs with rosettes on capitals and abaci, chamfered outer order, hood mould and head label stops. Moulded eaves with rosette motifs and moulded parapet complete the porch.

The interior contains an early 12th-century doorway with a semi-circular head, the outer order rolled, chamfered imposts, chamfered jambs and plank door. The tower arch, dating from around 1200, has a pointed, double-chamfered head dying into rectangular jambs. A small pointed 15th-century doorway inside the tower has a chamfered surround and plank door. Two painted boards in the tower record charitable bequests. The church retains a four-bay north arcade from around 1200 with double-chamfered, pointed heads, polygonal responds and square piers placed diagonally with chamfers and slender attached shafts, featuring plain moulded capitals. A 14th-century piscina with cusped ogee head is set in the south wall. A 15th-century octagonal font has cusped traceried panels on both bowl and pedestal. 19th-century additions include the roofs, pulpit, lectern, altar rail and pews.

The church contains several monuments. One of white and grey marble commemorates Thomas Rockcliffe, died 1783. Another of white marble with pediment marks Richard Calthrop, whose head was blown off at sea off Algiers in 1816. A third of white and grey marble with a seated sheep, pelican and coat of arms commemorates Elizabeth Paine, died 1859. Others include a monument of white and dark grey marble with urn and draperies to Richard Elmhurst, died 1847; a monument of black and white marble with ribbons to Elizabeth Elmhurst, died 1857; and one in grey and white marble with palms to Sarah Elmhurst, died 1848.