Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Church with origins in the 13th century, mostly rebuilt in the early 14th century, with 15th-century additions. The building was restored in 1876 by Sir Gilbert Scott. It is constructed of limestone, lias and sandstone in squared coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, with 19th- and 20th-century tile and lead roofs. The plan comprises a chancel, aisled nave and west tower.

The chancel dates from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. It has three bays with a moulded plinth, offset buttresses, a chamfered eaves cornice and a coped gable to the east with a cross at the apex. The gable was probably rebuilt in the 19th century. The 13th-century east window contains three pointed lights with Y-tracery within a chamfered surround with hood mould and carved-head labels. Two 13th-century windows to the north each have two pointed lights with unpierced spandrels. Three 15th-century three-light windows are positioned above in a 15th-century raised wall. To the south is a 14th-century doorway with an ogee head within a stop-chamfered segmental-arched surround, now fitted with a 19th-century plank door. To its left is a 19th-century restored three-light window, and to its right a 15th-century three-light window. The raised wall above contains three further 15th-century three-light windows.

The nave is an aisled structure dating to the 14th century, consisting of three bays with a chamfered plinth, offset buttresses, a chamfered eaves cornice to the aisles and clerestory, and a coped gable to the east with a cross at the apex. The north aisle features a blocked pointed-arched doorway with a chamfered surround at its centre, flanked to the left by a window of three ogee-headed cusped lights and to the right by a window of two ogee-headed lights on the east wall. The west wall has a window of three cusped lights within a segmental-arched surround. The south aisle is similarly disposed, with a window of two ogee-headed lights to the left of the porch and on the east wall, and a window of three ogee-headed lights to the right of the porch. The west wall contains a three-light window with a segmental-arched surround. A restored 15th-century gabled porch with a chamfered plinth and offset buttresses is positioned centrally. The pointed-arch entrance has a double ovolo-moulded surround with a 15th-century corbel at its apex. Above is an incised sundial dated "Ibis". Within the porch are 14th-century carved-head corbels built into the walls, including two crowned and bearded heads. An early 14th-century pointed-arch doorway with a chamfered surround leads into the church.

The tower, dating to the 14th century, is constructed of banded lias and limestone with a moulded plinth, offset buttresses with pinnacles, a hollow-moulded eaves cornice and an embattled parapet. A 15th-century window to the lower stage west has two cusped lights within a moulded surround, with hood mould and carved-head labels. The second stage to the south has a rectangular light and two loops. The third stage belfry windows each have two cusped lights with quatrefoil-pierced spandrels.

Interior

The 13th-century chancel windows have deeply-splayed reveals and chamfered rere-arches. The south doorway has a plain ogee-headed surround. The restored 14th-century sedilia comprises seats each divided by moulded mullions with cusped ogee heads, pinnacles and poppy-head finials. A 14th-century Easter sepulchre to the north has a moulded pointed-arch surround and carved gable. The early 14th-century chancel arch has polygonal responds with moulded capitals and a double-chamfered arch. The early 14th-century nave arcade of three bays features octagonal piers with chamfered bases and moulded capitals, with responds to east and west, and double-chamfered arches. The aisle windows have splayed reveals. The north and south doorways have round heads with chamfered rere-arches. A 19th-century tomb recess in the south wall contains an early 14th-century worn effigy of a priest in vestments, found beneath the chancel floor. This probably represents John de Pavely, rector of Ladbroke 1298–1303. The tower arch comprises four chamfered orders, with the inner order continuing to the ground. The chancel roof, restored in the 19th century, is low-pitched with scissor-braced work. The nave roof is also 19th-century scissor-braced. The chancel and nave floors are 19th-century tiled. The pulpit and font are also 19th-century.

An alabaster memorial in the north chancel wall commemorates Elizabeth Skrymster, who died 5 November 1712. It is an oval tablet with a carved floral surround surmounted by an urn and supported by a cornice. A marble memorial in the south chancel wall commemorates William Palmer Esq., who died 20 April 1720, and his wife Elizabeth, who died 20 August 1729. The tablet has an Ionic pilaster surround surmounted by a cornice and broken segmental pediment with a carved coat of arms. A memorial in the south aisle wall commemorates Charles Palmer Esq., who died 2 August 1806. A further memorial honours Thomas Williams, who died 11 November 1789. Various 19th-century wall memorials and brasses are present throughout. The tower floor is said to be paved with memorial slabs. The 19th-century stained glass includes windows in the north chancel wall by Kempe and Tower.