Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church dating from the 11th century with significant additions and alterations spanning the late 12th, early 13th, 15th, late 17th centuries, 1787, and 19th century. The building is constructed of coursed ironstone and limestone rubble with some ashlar and red brick elements, featuring ashlar dressings and slate and lead roofs.

The church comprises a west tower with a circular stair turret attached to its west side, a nave with north and south aisles, a south porch, and a rectangular chancel with a north aisle.

The circular stair turret is of 11th-century rubble construction with three small round-headed openings on its west side, the topmost bearing weathered cable decoration. The north side contains two small round openings and a rectangular one above, while the south side has four small round openings. A large 20th-century set-off occurs at the top of the turret.

The tower rises in four stages. The lower three stages are of 11th-century rubble with quoins and two string courses, whilst the upper stage is 15th-century ashlar with a single string course. On the west front, two narrow rectangular lights flank the turret at the top of the rubble work. The north side of the tower is rendered and contains a thin rectangular light in the second stage and a small round-headed light with clock in the third stage. The south side features a rectangular doorway with a large 18th-century window above it breaking through the string course, while the second stage has a small 11th-century round-headed light and clock. Four 15th-century bell openings each contain two pointed windows divided by mullion and transom beneath a single broad basket arch with grotesque head label stops. A head at the apex of the arch supports the plinth of a central pinnacle above. Moulded eaves are decorated with small sculptural ornaments and large projecting gargoyles. A frieze of quatrefoils runs above, with eight ornate pinnacles alternating with gabled panels and finials.

The west front of the north aisle contains a late 12th-century round-headed light set in rubble with a string course below. An 18th-century two-stage buttress with moulded plinth lies to the north. The plinth continues across the 18th-century north aisle of coursed rubble with ashlar bands. Three large rectangular windows punctuate this elevation: the central window has three ogee-headed lights flanked by single windows with three plain pointed lights. The central window bears the inscription "1787 J. LUMX," on its lintel, with various names inscribed on stones set high between the windows. Moulded eaves run above, with a two-stage buttress to the east. A 15th-century clerestory of four windows follows, each containing two cusped lights with a quatrefoil beneath a flattened triangular head with hood mould. Moulded eaves with projecting gargoyles and battlements continue above, topped by ornate pinnacles.

The original pitch of the chancel roof remains visible on the nave's west wall. The nave's north aisle is higher than the chancel, and its gable bears 18th-century red brick infilling. The plinth continues around the choir with two 18th-century round-headed windows above, featuring raised keystones, and a two-stage buttress beyond. A frieze of shields set in quatrefoils runs above. The east end of the north chancel aisle has another round-headed 18th-century window with a raised keystone. The chancel's east end displays a low moulded plinth, irregular ashlar quoins, and a large 15th-century window of five cusped round-headed lights surmounted by eight small lights beneath a four-cusped head with hood mould. An ornate frieze continues with corner pinnacles and a central finial.

The plinth continues around the south side of the choir with two early 14th-century windows featuring intersecting tracery, pointed heads, hood moulds, and head label stops. Moulded eaves and frieze continue above. A small doorway in the south-west corner of the choir has a horizontal stone lintel inserted beneath a relieving arch. To its west, at a lower level than the other windows, stands a pointed window with intersecting tracery (restored in the 19th century), featuring a hood mould and an early 14th-century caryatid figure as a label stop to the east and a grotesque head to the west.

The east end of the south aisle has a high 15th-century string course and a lancet with hood mould. The upper part of the south wall and gable have been built out from the original steeper pitch. The south side of the aisle contains two 15th-century rectangular windows, each with three ogee-cusped lights and mouchettes above. A string course runs beneath them, rising to a higher level between the windows to create a castellated pattern. Shallow segmental relieving arches sit above the windows, with a rectangular 15th-century window between them containing two pointed lights, a hood mould, and label stop heads. A string course runs above and rises steeply to a point above the porch, revealing the original pitch of its roof.

The south porch features large, irregular ashlar quoins, a plinth, and string course. The south doorway has a round-headed plain chamfered arch with plain polygonal responds beneath a coped gable with finial. The west side contains a re-set 11th-century window. The porch interior is flanked by stone benches. An early 13th-century south door (restored in the 19th century) consists of two columnar jambs with plain moulded capitals and a pointed arch with filleted roll mouldings. West of the porch, set between two string courses, is a 12th-century round-headed light with hood mould. The string course continues over the west end of the south aisle, where the original pitch of the aisle gable remains visible. A 15th-century west window contains two lights with ogee heads and continuous mullions (restored in the 19th century). A 15th-century clerestory with four windows, each of two cusped lights with quatrefoils beneath a flattened triangular head with hood mould, occupies the upper wall.

The interior west wall contains a heavily restored round-headed doorway set in exposed rubble walling with heavy pointing. High above is an 11th-century tall, narrow triangular-headed blocked opening. The nave comprises two bays with an early 13th-century arcade of octagonal piers and polygonal responds supporting plain chamfered pointed arches with hood moulds and heads in the central spandrels. A 15th-century timber ceiling with ornate bosses spans above. The 15th-century south aisle roof features curved braces, whilst the south aisle roof is 20th-century work. The north aisle of the nave is blocked at its east end by a wall and an ornate 19th-century canopy set over an altar, with a round-headed opening above and a rectangular aumbry below. The north-east corner of the south aisle contains an ogee-headed aumbry.

An early 13th-century chancel arch features semi-circular responds with polygonal capitals and a chamfered pointed arch. The chancel rises two steps above the nave and contains an early 13th-century, two-bay north arcade with semi-circular responds, polygonal capitals, and double-chamfered pointed arches. The westernmost south window of the chancel has head label stops, whilst the easternmost has nook shafts. The south wall contains a plain aumbry and sedilia. A 15th-century roof with crenellations on tie beams crowns the interior.

Furnishings include 19th-century pews, a pulpit, and a stone font. Monuments are prominent: a black and white marble monument to Arabella Ashton (died 1792) adorns the north wall of the nave, whilst an ornate grey and black marble monument to John Marris (died 1785) is situated on the south wall. Two large monuments in white and grey marble with sarcophagus and obelisk designs, commemorating Edward Payne (died 1710) and Thomas Payne (died 1742), stand in the north arcade.