Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church with 12th-century origins, substantially rebuilt and extended from the 15th century onwards, with later restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The church is constructed of ragstone rubble and flint with limestone dressings and multi-coloured brick to the chancel gable apex. Roofs are covered in red plain tiles, with a shingle spire to the tower. The chancel, north vestry, and west tower represent the principal structural additions from the 15th century, while the north aisle and south porch date to circa 1500. The upper part of the south porch is 16th or 17th century in date, and the vestry was rebuilt in the 19th century.

The chancel's east wall features an angle buttress with a moulded cornice carried through the returns, and a window of three cinquefoiled lights under a moulded four-centred arch with a label. The south wall is buttressed between two windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights with four-centred arches and labels. A doorway with a two-centred arch stands to the west of the buttress, with vertically boarded doors; the opening is largely 19th century except for the rear splays. A plastered lean-to vestry of 19th-century date is attached to the north wall.

The north aisle, dating from circa 1500, has an east wall window of three cinquefoiled lights with a segmental head and brick repairs above. The north wall contains three windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights with segmental pointed heads and labels. Between the two western windows is the north doorway, moulded with a two-centred arch and label with head stops, fitted with a door of ridged battens with fillets over joints. Buttresses are positioned at angles and between windows and the door. The west window matches the east wall window but with a moulded label.

The nave's south wall contains two windows of two cinquefoiled lights with cusped lights above—the western window dates to the 14th century, while the eastern is of 19th or 20th-century date. Between them stands a gabled south porch with a rubble plinth and plaster above. The outer entrance has a moulded timber square-headed frame spanning two bays, with chamfered arched braces supporting chamfered and cambered tie beams and side seats. A 19th-century south doorway features a chamfered two-centred arch with a label and foliate stops; the rear arch may be of 12th-century date.

The west tower is crenellated with an octagonal spire and weathervane. It is of three stages with bands at the parapet, belfry, and first stage, and angle buttresses. A northeast stair turret is present. A flint flushwork band runs below the second stage. The north, south, and west faces have 20th-century chamfered round-headed windows. The second stage of the west face displays a flint flushwork chequered band with a central cinquefoiled niche under a two-centred arch. Each face of the bell chamber has a restored window of two trefoiled lights under a square head with moulded label. The first stage west window contains cinquefoiled lights with tracery above, set under a two-centred head with moulded label. To the left and right of this window are trefoiled two-centred arch niches each containing a carved statue. The west doorway is moulded with a two-centred arch and label, fitted with a vertically boarded door with muntins and tracery. A clock is positioned on the west face below the bell chamber. Signs of a former higher roof level are visible on the east face.

Interior

The chancel features a five-cant two-bay roof structure that is ribbed and boarded, with bosses at intersections. Moulded and crenellated wall plates are decorated with shields of arms. A central moulded tie beam on wall posts is supported by corbels. The east window contains 19th-century stained glass. The south wall has a piscina with a trefoiled two-centred arch and round drain. The reredos displays coloured marble inlay. The south wall window has a low cill and is flanked by two defaced carved figures. Three floor slabs are inscribed: to John and Elizabeth Davies (1739), George Asser (1683 and 1687), and George Asser (1738, with shield of arms above inscription). A north doorway features a chamfered two-centred arch. The north vestry contains a moulded cast iron fire surround with shell back. There is no chancel arch. Wrought iron altar rails with scrolled decoration and flowers are present.

The north arcade consists of four bays with a west respond and columns that are sunk chamfered octagonal in form, with sunk chamfered and moulded capitals and bases. The arches are similarly moulded two-centred forms. A moulded corbel with foliate base is positioned to the east.

The nave has a plastered four-cant roof and a square red tiled floor. An octagonal panelled pulpit stands on an octagonal base with an octagonal sounding board decorated with carved angle and central flowers. A brass eagle lectern is present. A floor slab records Eleanor, aged 17, and her son George Hurst, aged three months (1751). A 1902 stained glass window occupies the southwest position. A 15th-century octagonal font has quatrefoils and shields to its panels, with moulded pilasters to the stem and moulded bases.

The north aisle has a plastered side purlin roof of seven bays and a red square-tiled floor. A 13th or 14th-century floor slab with a cusped cross is visible, as is another much-worn floor slab at the western end. Rood loft stairs have upper and lower doorways, the former with a simple segmental head, the latter with a chamfered pointed segmental head. An organ bears a label reading "The Positive Organ Coy. Ltd, Cassons". A painting on the north wall depicts Christ carrying the Cross. The tower arch is two-centred with two chamfered orders. The tower is said to contain two bells: one by John Dier (late 16th century) and one by John Hodson (1666).