Parish Church Of All Saints

Parish Church of All Saints

This is a parish church dating primarily from the late 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, restored and extended in the 19th century. It is constructed of flint and pebble rubble with some indurated conglomerate, with dressings of limestone and clunch, and roofed with handmade red plain tiles and lead.

The church comprises a late 12th-century north arcade, early 13th-century south arcade, 13th-century chancel, 14th-century north vestry and north and south aisles, a 19th-century south tower positioned in the angle between the chancel and south aisle, and 19th-century north and south porches.

The chancel features chamfered and stopped east quoins, with the north-east corner much restored. The east wall contains five graduated 13th-century lancet windows with chamfered and rebated jambs and heads, all partly restored, with rear-arches chamfered to both outside and inside. Above these is a round window which appears to be entirely 19th-century. The north wall has two windows: the eastern is a 13th-century lancet with chamfered jambs and head; the western is 14th-century, comprising three trefoiled ogee lights with moulded mullions and tracery set in a segmental-pointed head with moulded label and grotesque stops, with a chamfered rear-arch that is partly restored. Further east is a 14th-century doorway with chamfered jambs and two-centred head. A scratch-dial with missing gnomon is carved on the south-east quoin. The south wall contains two 13th-century lancets with chamfered jambs and heads, much restored. The 13th-century chancel arch is two-centred and of one roll-moulded order, with square responds having moulded imposts. The roof is 19th-century. The chancel was restored by the Reverend Charles Forster between 1839 and 1859.

The north vestry has chamfered and stopped quoins similar to those of the chancel, a 19th-century east wall and window, and a 19th-century west doorway.

The nave features a north arcade of five bays with early 13th-century two-centred arches of one chamfered order. The easternmost arch was probably inserted into a deep 12th-century respond, and the east respond has a late 12th-century chamfered impost that has been re-set. The column replacing the former respond is circular with a moulded square capital carved with one grotesque head, two defaced heads (one recessed within a roundel), and a rose with a dragon and bird feeding off it; the base is 19th-century. The second and third columns are late 12th-century, circular with moulded square abaci and moulded capitals elaborately carved with conventional foliage; their bases are mainly 19th-century. The fourth pier is square and chamfered, with a late 12th-century respond on the east face having a chamfered impost foliated at one angle. The westernmost arch springs from a lower level and has 13th-century moulded imposts.

The south arcade consists of five bays, with the east and west bays corresponding to those of the north arcade. The entire arcade is 13th-century with arches matching those of the north arcade. The easternmost column is similar to its opposite number but has a capital carved with one grotesque head and one foliate boss (damaged), the others being uncarved blanks suitable for another head and boss. The second and third columns are circular with moulded square capitals and partly restored bases.

The clerestorey has three quatrefoiled windows on each side, probably 14th-century but entirely 19th-century externally, with chamfered segmental rear-arches. The west wall of the nave was rebuilt in the 19th century and contains five 19th-century windows and a 19th-century doorway incorporating some 13th- or 14th-century stones.

The nave roof spans three bays and has four crownpost trusses. Each crownpost is octagonal with moulded capitals and bases, with four-way rising braces on the inner trusses and three-way on the end ones. The collar-purlin is moulded, and there are soulaces to every rafter couple. The roof probably dates from the construction of the clerestorey in the 14th or early 15th century, but the tiebeams and moulded wallplates are 19th-century, and the whole structure has been rebuilt in that period.

The north aisle was rebuilt in the 14th century. Its east wall contains a window that is entirely 19th-century except for part of the splays and chamfered segmental rear-arch, which are 14th-century. The north wall has two windows, 19th-century except for the 14th-century splays and rear-arches. The eastern window has a hollow-chamfered two-centred rear-arch and low sill; the western has a plain-chamfered two-centred rear-arch. The north doorway is 19th-century except for the 14th-century splays and hollow-chamfered three-centred rear-arch. The roof is a lean-to of shallow pitch with hollow-chamfered tiebeams and chamfered arch-braces, an axial purlin partly moulded and partly chamfered, and plain rafters of horizontal section, rebuilt in the 19th century. The stone plate hooks are late 12th-century.

The south aisle was rebuilt in the early 14th century. Its south wall contains two windows, 19th-century externally. The eastern window has 14th-century keel-moulded splays and segmental rear-arch with a low sill. In the east splay is the head of a cinquefoiled ogee niche with recessed spandrels; the west splay has a 19th-century equivalent. The western window has 14th-century keel-moulded splays and a two-centred rear-arch. Between them is the re-set 13th-century south doorway with jambs and two-centred arch of two orders, one plain and one hollow-chamfered. The west jamb bears graffiti dated 1697 and later. The west wall contains a window similar to the western window in the south wall. The roof is a lean-to of steeper pitch than that of the north aisle, with all arch-braces hollow-chamfered and short crownposts of unusual shape clasping the tiebeams; it has been rebuilt in the 19th century.

The south tower was built in 1844 for Onley Savill Onley and contains six bells. The roof of the 19th-century north porch incorporates re-used lead with embossed and inscribed designs bearing the churchwardens' names, the date 1677, and a shield of arms of Turner of Suffolk.

The church contains numerous fittings of interest. There are two piscinae: one in the east wall of the chancel, 13th-century, with moulded segmental head, moulded and shafted jambs with capitals and bases, stone shelf and octofoiled drain; and one in the south wall of the south aisle, early 14th-century, with wave-moulded and stopped jambs, cinquefoiled ogee head and sexfoiled drain.

The early 18th-century pulpit is semi-hexagonal with panelled and bollection-moulded sides and inlaid centres, with one panel bearing a shield of arms; the base is 19th-century.

16th- and 17th-century Flemish glass is re-set among 19th-century glass in the east, north-east and south-east windows of the chancel, along with some 14th- or 15th-century English glass of tabernacle work in the south-east window. This glass was given by Onley Savill Onley between 1844 and 1859.

On the north wall of the chancel is a brass commemorating Elizabeth Glascock, wife of John Wyseman, died 1584, showing figures of woman and daughter kneeling at a prayer-desk, with a shield of arms.

The chancel contains several floor-slabs: one to Mary, wife first of Sir Thomas Wiseman and later of Sir Henry Appleton, baronet, died 1685, in black marble; one to William Lyngwood, died 1699/1700, and Elizabeth his wife, died 1719, in white marble with cartouche of arms; one to John Savill, died 1734, and Samuel Savill, died 1763, in black marble with cartouche of arms; and one to Joannes Barlow Seale, died 1838, in black marble. The last three are partly covered by the altar-base. In the nave is a floor-slab to William May, died 1837, and William May, died 1840. In the floor of the south porch is a plain slab reported by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments to have an early 14th-century inscription in Lombardic letters.

Wall monuments in the chancel commemorate: Mary, wife of the Reverend Samuel Jackson, died 1749, in white and grey marble with pediment, urn and two lamps, pilasters, and a painted shield of arms; the Reverend Samuel Jackson, died 1792, and Jane his wife, died 1779, similar to the above; the Reverend John Escreet, died 1823, white marble tablet on slate; and Sarah Elizabeth Dodsworth, died 1825, white marble tablet.

On the north wall of the north aisle is a monument to Philip Simpson, died 1834, Mary his first wife, died 1790, and Sarah Mary his second wife, died 1834. On the south wall of the south aisle is a monument to Simon Finch, died 1801, and his widow Sarah, died 1807, comprising a tablet of white and black marble with pilasters and pediment. On the east wall of the south aisle is a 17th-century inscribed boundary stone removed from the churchyard wall in 1909 when the boundary was altered.

Incorporated in the modern organ screen in the chancel are four linenfold panels with traceried heads, early 16th-century.