Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints, Friskney

Parish church of multiple periods: late 12th century, late 13th century, mid 14th century, and mid 15th century, with restoration by W. Butterfield in 1879. The building is constructed in limestone rubble and ashlar with some red sandstone, red brick and render. The roofs are lead with stone coped gables and cross finials.

The church comprises a west tower, nave with north and south aisles and south porch, and chancel. The 12th century four-stage west tower was raised in the 13th century and again in the 15th century. It has a moulded plinth, string course and two-stage angle buttresses. On the west face is a 13th century window with pointed head and Y tracery, with hood mould and grotesque head label stops. Single lancets on the north and south sides have hood moulds and head label stops. Above is a pointed window of around 1300 with two plate lancets and an oculus, with hood mould. The two 15th century stages above are slightly battered, with a pointed window to the west featuring a bowtell moulded surround, two ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood mould. A clock is positioned on the south side. Bell openings on all four sides have pointed heads, two cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood mould. The tower is finished with moulded eaves and battlements.

The north aisle was heavily restored in 1879 and has regularly placed two-stage buttresses. A pointed west window contains four cusped ogee-headed lights with panel tracery and hood mould. Moulded eaves above are decorated with small sculptured motifs and a corner gargoyle to the north. The north side has a window to the west with pointed head, three cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood mould. A late 12th century pointed doorway has a double chamfered head with single flanking shafts; the left shaft carries a waterleaf capital while the right is 19th century. Four windows to the left have pointed heads, each with three cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood moulds. The east end has a pointed window with four cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood mould. Moulded eaves above feature small sculptured motifs and a corner gargoyle to the north.

A late 15th century clerestory on the north side contains five pointed windows, each with bowtell moulded surround, two cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood moulds.

The north side of the chancel has two 15th century windows to the right, each with three semi-circular cusped lights, panel tracery, hood moulds and head label stops. To the left is a truncated window of similar design, reset in a blocked brick-patched opening that originally led to a north chapel, now demolished. Below this is a very small opening with a re-entrant curved triangular head. A fragmentary jamb of the chapel's east window is visible above to the left. The east end of the chancel is defined by three-stage angle buttresses, each with richly moulded plinth and a small niche with cusped ogee head with crockets, finial and head label stops; the bases feature large grotesque animals. A large pointed window of 1570 has five pointed cusped lights, panel tracery, hood mould and head label stops. A moulded string course above displays small sculptural motifs. The moulded parapet has a finial and outer pinnacles.

The south side of the chancel has moulded plinth and string courses. Three four-stage buttresses feature similar niches to those on the east end and alternate with two pointed windows and a doorway. The windows each have three cusped pointed lights, panel tracery, hood mould and head label stops. The doorway has a pointed head with double bowtell moulded surround, hood mould, head label stops and a plank door. Beyond this is a four-light pointed window with pointed cusped heads, panel tracery, hood mould and head label stops. Moulded eaves above feature projecting gargoyles, battlements and pinnacles.

The south aisle was heavily restored in the 19th century. A pointed east window has four ogee-headed cusped lights, panel tracery and hood mould. The south side has four windows alternating with two-stage buttresses, each window containing three cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood mould. Another similar window appears beyond the gabled 15th century porch to the left. The porch has a pointed south doorway with moulded head and finial, polygonal jambs with moulded capitals, hood mould and finial. The pointed inner doorway has a continuously moulded surround, hood mould and double plank doors. The west end of the south aisle has a pointed window with four cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery and hood mould. A late 15th century clerestory above is identical to that on the north side.

Interior: A tall 14th century tower arch has a pointed triple chamfered head and polygonal responds. A doorway to the bell chamber above has a plank door. An internal south-west mid-12th century doorway has a semi-circular chamfered head and panelled door. First-stage tower windows have hood moulds and head label stops. Mid-15th century north and south arcades have pointed double chamfered heads with continuous hood moulds, octagonal piers and polygonal responds with moulded capitals.

The north arcade contains a small semi-circular headed archway cut through by the chancel arch. Fifteenth century parclose screens stand at the east end of the north and south aisles and the west end of the north aisle. A 15th century rood screen is set in a 14th century chancel arch with pointed double chamfered head dying into rectangular jambs. All screens feature openwork traceried panels with cusped panel tracery, crocketed and finialled ogee heads. An earlier roof line of the former chancel is visible above the arch to the east. A rood loft staircase in the south arcade to the east has an ogee head and continuously moulded surround, with a pointed opening above at rood loft level.

The south aisle has a squint to the chancel with an aumbry to the left. A 14th century pointed cusped piscina is located in the south aisle of the nave. A 19th century piscina stands behind the organ. Fifteenth century sedilia, somewhat remodelled at a later date, have three semi-circular headed openings with richly moulded piers, continuous hood mould and head label stops; panel tracery decorates the backs. Fourteenth century piscinas with cusped ogee heads flank the sedilia. The east window is flanked by single grotesque figures clasping tapers.

A 15th century queen post roof spans the nave, with cusped curved braces and collar beams on cusped arched braces. The spandrels of the tie beams at the east end are painted with two censing angels and the Annunciation. A 19th century roof covers the chancel with stone corbels. Early 14th century paintings on the clerestory walls, very faded, depict King David, the Prophets, the Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and the Assumption, among other subjects.

Furnishings include an ornate pulpit of 1659 with four sides featuring arched panels, strapwork bands, fluted pilaster strips, ornate back panel and tester with brackets and pendentive finials. Fifteenth century bench ends in the chancel have poppy heads. An 18th century oak hudd in the interior porch has a semi-circular opening, gable, recessed panels inside and three-sided back; it is said to be one of six in existence and was originally used to shelter the priest at funerals. A 14th century defaced effigy of a knight is missing his arms and shins. An 18th century chest and a small 17th century chest with strapwork band are present. A plain 17th century chest has iron fillings. Two medieval gravestones stand in the west end. A 15th century octagonal ironstone font, crudely worked, has cusped panels and a bowl supported by a small head and foliate motifs; it sits on an octagonal pedestal.