Church of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church dating from the 13th century with 15th-century additions, extensively restored in 1871 by G.E. Street. The building is constructed of ashlar and dressed coursed rubble, with plain tile roofs featuring decorative ridges. It comprises a tower, nave, north organ chamber, vestry, and chancel. The structure stands on a chamfered plinth on all sides except the south west nave and is buttressed throughout except at the tower.

The 13th-century tower is built of dressed coursed rubble with embattled parapets, set on a low chamfered plinth. It consists of two stages with decorative bands and ashlar quoins. The west and south walls contain single 13th-century lancets, while the north wall has a single smaller lancet. The bell chamber features four arched two-light openings. Coped gables with single ridge crosses crown the east nave and east chancel.

The north nave wall, of dressed coursed rubble to the west, has a single restored 14th-century window with three arched and cusped lights under a flat arch. Below this is an arched tomb recess containing a significant war memorial dating to 1924. This commemorates three soldiers from the area killed in the First World War, though it serves as a memorial to those who died in both world wars. The recess contains a recumbent soldier in uniform carved in relief, lying with a cross held to his chest, his head resting on a pillow and feet on his cap. The arch is moulded and enriched with carved roses. The left spandrel bears a carved depiction of Saint George slaying a dragon, while the right spandrel contains the dragon itself. An inscription reading "IF YE SUFFER FOR RIGHTOUSNESS SAKE HAPPY ARE YE" is carved on the left panel of the recess back, with the three soldiers' names on the right panel. The panels are flanked by carved foliate decoration and regimental badges.

To the left of the memorial is a double chamfered arched doorway with hood mould and decorative label stops. Further left are two restored 15th-century windows, each with two cinquefoil arched lights under a flat arch. Projecting from the north chancel wall is a gabled organ chamber set on a chamfered plinth. Its west wall contains a single cinquefoil arched light, below which a single flight of steps leads to an arched doorway. The north wall has a single pair of trefoil arched lights and a moulded arched doorway. To the left stands the vestry, with a single pair of trefoil arched lights in its east wall.

The 19th-century chancel's north wall features a continuous band forming a sill band to the east and south chancel windows. The east chancel has a 19th-century arched three-light window with cusped flowing tracery, hood mould, and decorative label stops. The south chancel contains two 19th-century two-light windows with cusped tracery under flat arches, the left one being larger. The south nave has three restored 15th-century windows, each with two cinquefoil arched lights under a flat arch. To the right of the left window is a chamfered arched doorway with hood mould.

Interior features include a triple chamfered tower arch. The chancel arch is moulded and supported on quatrefoil responds with moulded capitals and fillets to the single central shafts, with a decorative wrought iron screen beneath. The organ chamber/chancel arch is moulded and supported on engaged columns with fillets and moulded capitals. The north chancel wall contains a two-bay aumbry with a single central colonnette and two trefoil arches. The south wall has a low ashlar sill to the east window forming a sedilia. The reredos, organ case, pulpit decorated with blind tracery, and font were all designed by Street and feature carved figures. Other furniture dates from the 19th century. A stair turret with a chamfered arched doorway projects from the south nave wall.

The church contains several memorials of note. On the north nave wall is a memorial to John Wescomb Emmerton Wescomb dated 1838, featuring a Gothic surround. The memorial to John Emmerton Wescomb Emmerton, 1823, is set into an arched recess with marble surround and has a sarcophagus below the inscription and a crest above. The memorial to John and Thomas Emmerton, 1745, displays an oval inscription tablet surrounded by a garland with a crest over, an apron with further inscription, and a crown with shield. The south nave wall contains a bulbous oval alabaster tablet to Winifred Coppindale, 1648. In the south chancel is a large memorial to Gervase Pigot, 1669, restored in 1950, consisting of a large rectangular inscription tablet surmounted by a band of shields. Single angels supported on corbels flank either side, holding back carved curtains over the inscription. The apron is decorated with a stylised tree and carved fruit.