Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church with a 14th-century west tower and late 14th-century nave and aisles. The chancel dates to the 15th century and is reputedly built by John Walter, rector from 1460 to 1471. The building has undergone numerous restoration campaigns in the 19th century, with the tower restored again in 1973.

The church is constructed of flint with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. The three-stage tower features diagonal western buttresses, a two-light west window, and lancets serving the ringing chamber. A set-off marks the transition to the belfry stage, which has two-light Y-tracery windows below a crenellated parapet.

The aisles are supported by diagonal corner buttresses and stepped side buttresses. The west windows of the aisles contain three lights with cusped and ogeed designs supporting four-lobed petal motifs set vertically, also cusped. This design belongs to the Norwich-Ely group, derived originally from Lincolnshire and popular during 1340 to 1350. The east aisle windows display three cusped ogee lights with sub-arches and rising supermullions containing two tracery panels, a design popular from 1380 to 1420. The aisle side windows alternate between these types, demonstrating the overlap between Decorated and Perpendicular styles. A continuous string course runs below all windows.

The south porch is two storeys with a gabled roof and diagonal buttresses, the upper storey being a later addition. A stilted entrance arch is set below a restored statuary niche, with two-light ogeed side windows beneath square hoods. The parvis is lit by square-headed windows. The east and west parapets are crenellated brick. The inner south door features double wave moulding with a wave-moulded hood on head stops and fleuron decoration in the voussoirs.

The nave has no clerestory, but the nave walls at this position are of knapped flint. Two three-light Perpendicular south chancel windows follow the same design as the aisles. The chancel has stepped side buttresses and diagonal east buttresses, with a priests' door. One similar north window remains, the other being blocked. The east window dates to the 19th century and features timber tracery.

Internally, a five-bay octagonal arcade divides the space, with moulded polygonal bases from the 14th century, moulded polygonal capitals with fleuron studs, and double hollow-chamfered arches. The nave roof is scissor-braced and dates to 1864. The tower arch is chamfered with polygonal responds, bases and capitals. The chancel arch is double hollow-chamfered with similar polygonal responds, bases and capitals.

The aisle roofs pitch and date to 1913, reusing 14th-century principals with hollow chamfering and arched braces. The aisle windows feature wave-moulded rere arches.

A 15th-century octagonal font displays tracery patterns against the stem and fleurons and punched quatrefoils to the bowl below crenellations. A tower screen dated 1605 takes the form of a door with arcaded panels flanked by 19th-century pine panelling.

A brick staircase over the porch in the south aisle leads to the parvis through a high four-centred doorway. The upper parvis door dates to the 15th century and features a roll-moulded surround. The porch roof is pitched with multiply roll-moulded ridge piece and principals.

The 15th-century chancel screen comprises two double bays left and right of a four-centred opening, with Perpendicular tracery heads revolving around large ogees. The dado contains two-light tracery divisions painted with figures of fifteen canonised kings and one queen. The chancel features three giant wall arches beneath a roof of 1879 with principals, buttpurlins and fleuron bosses.