Church of All Saints

This parish church dates from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, with the Mering Chapel added around 1525. The building underwent 19th-century restoration, and the tower was specifically restored in 1902–03 by William Weir, with further restoration work in 1956–58.

The church is constructed of coursed squared rubble and ashlar with dressed stone, brick and rendered sections. The roofs are lead and slate. The building comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, chancel, vestry, south chancel chapel (the Mering Chapel) and south porch.

Tower and Exterior

The west tower dates from the 13th and 15th centuries and has 19th-century buttresses. It rises in three stages and features a rendered plinth, two string courses, an eaves band with remains of gargoyles, a crenellated parapet and four crocketed pinnacles. Two diagonal buttresses have six setoffs; the southern buttress is inscribed "Lord Elam and Willm. Butterey Churchwardens 1815". The first stage has a round-headed lancet to the south with a rectangular chamfered light above. The west side features a 13th-century doorway with hood mould and leaded overlight, with a chamfered leaded light above. The north side has a leaded light. The second stage has four 13th-century double lancet openings with flanking shafts, chamfered mullions and surrounds. The third stage has late 15th-century double lancets with Y tracery, splayed mullions and reveals to the east and south.

The nave has six bays with a clerestory dating from around 1525. It features a chamfered eaves band with gargoyles, a crenellated parapet and an east gable with the remains of a cross and two crocketed pinnacles. The east gable has a small light with a four-centred arched head. On each side are six triple lancets with cusped ogee heads, panel tracery, splayed mullions and reveals, and a linked hood mould.

The north aisle, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries and restored, has three bays with a chamfered plinth and eaves and coped gables. Four plain buttresses have two setoffs. The west end has a 14th-century triple lancet with ogee heads, panel tracery, a chamfered and rebated reveal and a hood mould with mask stops. The north side has three restored 15th-century triple lancets (the central lancet smaller) with ogee heads, Decorated tracery, splayed mullions, chamfered and rebated reveals, and hood moulds with mask stops. The east end has a 13th-century triple lancet with intersecting tracery, splayed mullions and a chamfered and rebated reveal.

The south aisle, 14th and 15th century, has four bays with a plinth and coved eaves band decorated with rosettes and two spouts. A moulded coped parapet tops the wall. Five plain buttresses have three setoffs. The south side has two 15th-century double lancets to the east with cusped ogee heads, panel tracery, splayed mullions, chamfered and rebated reveals with four-centred arched heads and hood moulds with mask stops. To the west is a 14th-century triple lancet with ogee heads, a splayed mullion, a square-headed reveal and a hood mould. The west end has a small lancet with a cusped trefoil head and chamfered reveal.

The chancel has two bays with a coved eaves band and crenellated parapet with a crocketed gable on the north-east corner. The north side has a single plain and single diagonal buttress with three setoffs plus chamfered plinths, and a 20th-century rendered chimney. To the west is a 15th-century triple lancet with ogee heads, panel tracery with billeted transom, a splayed mullion, a chamfered and rebated reveal with Tudor arched head, hood mould and mask stops. The east end has a 16th-century five-light lancet with round heads, a transom, beaded mullions and a triangular head with hood mould. Above is a datestone inscribed "1632".

The vestry dates from the 19th century and has a single bay with a crenellated parapet with ashlar coping. A door with a segmental head is set in the north side.

The south chancel Mering Chapel, dating from around 1525, has three unequal bays with a chamfered plinth, moulded string course, sill and eaves bands decorated with a single gargoyle, bosses and a mask. It has a panelled crenellated parapet with shields and four crocketed pinnacles, and a crenellated east gable. Two buttresses to the south and a pair of corner buttresses to the south-east all have two setoffs with crocketed gables and two crocketed pinnacles. The east end has a 16th-century five-light lancet with cusped round heads and panel tracery, a beaded splayed mullion, a coved and moulded reveal with a four-centred arch and a hood mould. The south side has two quadruple lancets to the east with cusped round heads, beaded mullions, coved and moulded reveals and coved hood moulds. To the west is a restored doorway with a four-centred arched head, incised lintel and hood mould. Above this is a double lancet with round heads, beaded mullions and a coved and moulded square-headed reveal.

The 15th-century south porch has a rendered plinth and two flanking buttresses with a single setoff. The south doorway has an elliptical arched opening with splayed jambs and an elaborately moulded head and hood mould with mask stops.

Interior

The porch interior has stone benches and a low-pitched 15th-century roof with moulded ridge and flat cleft rafters. The south doorway, 13th century, has a moulded and rebated reveal, flanking shafts with moulded capitals, and a hood mould. The 19th-century door has decorative hinges.

The late 13th-century nave arcades have three bays with round piers with water-holding bases and moulded capitals. Keeled responds stand to east and west. The arches are chamfered and rebated with hood moulds. The clerestory reveal to the east has a shield in the spandrel. The principal rafter roof with moulded purlins has been heavily restored and features doubled tie beams on octagonal corbels and king posts with struts.

The 13th-century tower arch is chamfered and rebated with a hood mould and keeled responds with moulded square capitals and bases. An early 20th-century panelled and partly glazed timber screen has a billeted transom and two small lights.

The north aisle has an east window with stained glass from 1927 by Geoffrey Webb. The lean-to roof has 14th-century corbels and 15th-century cambered tie beams with struts, restored in the 19th century.

The south aisle has a 13th-century chamfered piscina on the south side to the east. The 19th-century lean-to roof has 15th-century moulded tie beams, a moulded ridge and foliate bosses. The east end has a moulded elliptical arch dating from around 1525 leading to the Mering Chapel, with moulded responds. An important 16th-century timber screen with a surround featuring shafts has traceried lower panels, a carved rail and pierced upper panels. To the left is a door of similar design with Arms in the lintel. Above is an overhanging gallery with a carved and moulded bressummer on plain corbels and a traceried panelled front with elaborate carved and moulded cresting. The east side has framed panelling. The 14th-century chancel arch is chamfered and rebated with a hood mould and cove-moulded band above. Keeled responds have moulded keeled capitals and remains of capitals of flanking shafts. Above to the left is a chamfered pointed arched recess with a crucifix.

The chancel has two bays with a two-bay arcade to the south dating from around 1525. A panelled octagonal central pier has a panelled moulded base and crenellated octagonal capital. To east and west are mutilated responds with similar capitals. The arches are cove and roll moulded with hood moulds. The windows contain fragments of 16th-century stained glass. The east window has flanking pointed arched stone panels with Commandments. The south side has, to the east, the remains of a chamfered piscina. The 15th-century principal rafter roof, restored, has duplicate tie beams with struts supporting earlier cambered tie beams, one with moulding.

The Mering Chapel has two bays with a full-height traceried panel in the south wall featuring two blank shields and three octagonal brackets. To its left is a corbelled octagonal piscina set in a traceried crocketed square panel with a hood mould. To its right are two octagonal brackets with traceried panels. The east window has traceried flanking panels and above them crenellated brackets with foliate bosses. All windows have hood moulds. Two windows contain scraps of 16th-century stained glass. The west end has a four-centred arched doorway to the south and to the north a 17th-century arched head panelled door in the pier.

Fittings and Monuments

The fittings include a 15th-century font with a moulded octagonal base and stem with traceried panels, an octagonal bowl with remains of tracery, and a late 17th-century two-tier panelled octagonal cover with a ball finial. An octagonal pulpit has an 18th-century panelled stem and a 19th-century traceried panelled top. A 19th-century carved oak eagle lectern stands in the church. Several re-sited 16th-century benches have traceried panels, shaped ends and fleur-de-lys or mask finials. Chamfered and panelled 19th-century benches are also present. The remains of an octagonal font bowl in the porch have masks and shields in panels and foliate bosses. Two 18th-century upholstered chairs have carved backs and stretchers. A rood dates from 1939.

Monuments include a Mering chest tomb with a chamfered base, strapwork panels and a moulded Purbeck marble top. There is a brass to William Leek dated 1770 and another brass from 1779. A panel tablet with a wavy top commemorates William and Elizabeth Downing, 1792 and 1813. An oval tablet with fluted spandrels from 1822 is signed "C H S Newark". A large shouldered alabaster war memorial panel with a crucifix dates from 1918. Eight brasses are 20th century.