Church of All Saints (Milton Mausoleum)

Church of All Saints (Milton Mausoleum)

Parish church, now redundant and maintained by the Redundant Church Fund. Built in 1832 by Sir Robert Smirke as a mausoleum for the Duchess of the fourth Duke of Newcastle. Constructed of ashlar with lead roofs.

The building is set on a plinth and features pedimented gables with a single Doric pilaster at each corner, each pilaster supporting a fully detailed entablature. The plan follows a Latin cross, with a nave, chancel, north and south tomb chambers in the manner of transepts, and an east mausoleum. At the crossing stands an octagonal lantern of two stages, set on a square base which supports a colonnade of eight Greek Doric columns. The wall behind the colonnade contains eight glazing bar cross fixed lights with moulded eared architraves. Above this rises an octagonal drum with eight louvred lights, topped with a dome crowned by a single cross.

The west front features a central doorway reached by two steps, with a panelled wooden door and over panel with moulded eared architrave, flanked by single pilasters. Flanking the steps are single ashlar blocks. The north wall has five cross windows with painted panels simulating glazing bars below the transom and casements above, all with moulded eared architraves. The north chamber has a single similar window in its north wall flanked by single pilasters, with a further similar window to its left. The east end is articulated with a tetrastyle prostyle portico of Greek Doric columns. The south side corresponds to the north.

Interior: The west end contains a panelled wooden inner porch with a doorway to the south and steps leading northward to a gallery, the porch exterior decorated with pilasters. At the east end stands an Ionic screen, raised five steps, with dentil cornice and a central rectangular board flanked by single arched boards, all printed with biblical texts. The church retains several box pews. The ceiling is panelled with egg and dart cornice and decorative ventilators to east and west. The south wall displays a monument to Joseph Denman dated 1863, topped with a pediment decorated with an open book.

Behind the screen is a doorway with panelled door leading to the mausoleum rotunda, which features three bands. To the north, south, east and west are single round archways, alternating with four similarly arched niches. The north and south chambers each contain in their east and west walls a large arched shallow recess supported on imposts. Windows throughout have moulded wooden eared architraves, and moulded arched entrances are supported on pilasters. Dado rails run throughout. The ceilings are panelled. Both chambers now contain bell frames.

The south chamber holds a fine and elaborate mid-19th century monument to the Dukes of Newcastle. The inscription sits beneath a cusped ogee arch, flanked by single crocketed pilasters standing on a base embellished with decorative cusped panels and projecting on either side to support single figures of medieval pages. Below this is a rectangular niche. The south wall carries seven brass memorial plaques mounted on a wooden panel.

The east archway from the rotunda, flanked on the east side by single pilasters supporting the moulded arch, leads to a passageway accessing the east entrance. A doorway with panelled door in the south wall opens to the vestry. A similar doorway in the north wall provides access to steps leading down to a vault.