Church of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Parish church in Upper Sheringham, Church Lane. Built in the early 14th century with mid-15th century additions. The building was restored in 1849 and 1872. A minor amendment to this listing was made on 25 February 2020.

The church is constructed of galletted coursed whole and knapped Quaternary and Quarry flint and chert with Lincolnshire Limestone dressings, with a slate roof and pantiles to the south nave. It comprises a west tower, nave with north and south aisles, chancel, south porch, and mausoleum.

The three-stage west tower incorporates some erratics and has an embattled parapet of flushwork with gargoyles to north and south. Diagonal stone stepped buttresses rise from a stone plinth, and a polygonal stair turret is positioned at the south-east to the first stage. A double chamfered west doorway provides access. The west window has three trefoil-headed lights under a pointed segmental head. Two cusped lancets light the second stage, with bell openings of cusped Y-tracery above.

The north and south aisles are built of broken flint with three buttresses each and a diagonal buttress to the east. Each aisle has four four-light windows under a pointed segmental arch with cusped ogee heads under panel tracery with an octofoil at the apex. A similar three-light window appears at either end of each aisle. The 14th-century north and south clerestoreys are of squared knapped flint with brick eaves courses, containing nine lights of alternating quatrefoils and Y-tracery. The 14th-century east gable of the nave has a blocked wide three-light opening of intersecting cusped tracery with a cross at the apex.

The large south porch has a south face of square knapped flint with crocketted finials to the quoins. A Perpendicular arch under a square head (renewed) has continuous moulding to the first order, with wave moulding above side shafts of the central order. The porch is benchless with no windows. Both the south and north doorways have plain chamfered jambs and double hollow chamfered arches under hood moulds.

The low chancel has a brick eaves cornice. Its east window matches those of the aisles. Other openings consist of two ogee-headed cusped lights under a square head—two to the south and two to the north, with those to the north-east and west blocked below the transoms.

A mid-19th century vestry lies to the south of the chancel. The priest's door is of knapped flint with brick dressings. A chimney pot stands at the gable apex to the south. A single ogee-headed light under a square head with chamfered brick surround illuminates the vestry.

The Upcher mausoleum, attached to the north chancel wall and dating to around 1820, is constructed of uncoursed knapped flint with stone dressings. A parapet of squared coursed knapped flint tops the structure. A central stone panel bears a blank ogee arch recording the Upcher family 1819–72, with blank panel tracery above and an embattled stone parapet. The Upcher crest and "U / A C" (Abbot, died 1819, and Charlotte, died 1857, Upcher) appear on the frieze.

Interior

The interior contains north and south arcades of five bays with octagonal piers and double chamfered arches. A double chamfered tower arch with plain responds springs above a narrow door to the stair turret with a four-centred arch.

The 14th-century octagonal font has blank Decorated tracery on its faces. The octagonal stem has engaged shafts at the angles and blank tracery to the faces. Yellow and black glazed medieval tiles surround the font stem. A painted cambered tie beam above the font has wall braces with pierced spandrels.

The 15th-century poppy head bench ends to 19th-century pews are extensively carved, with many featuring fabulous beasts, a mermaid, a bare-footed girl in a swaddled shroud, and a cat with kitten. Windows contain clear glass.

The 14th-century rood screen and loft have ogee-lights with Decorated and panel tracery above and Decorated blank tracery to lower panels with figures and foliage in spandrels. The screen part has been renewed. The loft features a panelled vault with bosses. A moulded bressumer at the front carries carved spandrels with fabulous beasts. A traceried parapet completes the loft. Behind the loft stands an oak hourglass pulpit of 1914 by Cecil Upcher. An oak organ case in the north aisle, dated 1911, displays fretwork tracery.

The chancel contains a wide piscina with a continuous arch and dropped sedilia seat. Narrow shafts rise to the rear arch of the east window. Vase-turned balusters support Communion rails. An oak reredos with vine frieze, made by Cecil Upcher in 1914, stands against the east wall. Reused 18th-century panelling lines the east wall. A marble wall memorial to Abbot Upcher (1819), by John Bacon junior and Samuel Manning, features panels of poppies flanking an inscription over the achievement. Above in relief are an obelisk and a woman holding a wilting branch, weeping over a broken column.

The vestry to the south of the priest's door is lined with reused 18th-century panelling. A panel from a pulpit dated 1622 and showing a renaissance arch hangs over a window. An inverted tester or font cover is mounted on the ceiling.