Church of All Saints

Church of All Saints

A parish church at Binfield, originating in the 14th century but substantially altered over subsequent centuries. The structure was restored and given a north aisle in 1847. In 1859, the vestry, south arcade and south chapel were rebuilt by the architect Benjamin Ferry. The materials consist partly of conglomerate (Ferricrete) and partly of flint and Bath stone, with old tile gable roofs, the nave being the highest point.

The church comprises a four-bay nave with a west tower and south porch, a three-bay chancel with a south Lady Chapel, a north aisle and a vestry.

The tower is square in plan, built in two stages from conglomerate with freestone quoins and two-stage weathered diagonal buttresses at the western angles. Moulded strings mark each stage, and an embattled parapet crowns the structure. A stair turret with an ornate ogee top was added to the north side in 1862. The bell chamber, lit on all faces by 14th-century windows of two trefoiled lights under two-centred arches of two hollow orders, contains a clock face on the south side. The west front carries a 19th-century window with two trefoiled lights under a pointed arch, and the first storey south side has a similar single-light window breaking the string between the two stages.

The north aisle features three 19th-century two-light windows with reticulated tracery and a 19th-century doorway with a pointed arch between the two westernmost windows. Its west front carries a similar window with a small rose window above.

The south aisle has two two-light restored windows with cinquefoiled lights and pointed-arched heads. Between these stands the south porch, a timber-framed open structure of late 14th-century date. Each side displays eight feathered and traceried bays. The roof incorporates a collar purlin with arch-braced collars and two large tie-beams at each end, carrying redundant crown posts. The doorway, partly restored, has a moulded label and consists of two continuous orders—the inner hollow chamfered with square flowers in the pointed head and upper jambs, the outer moulded with a double ogee profile.

The south chapel contains two windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights (both restored), and an east window of 15th-century date comprising three cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a depressed head. The chancel's 19th-century east and south fronts are similar, featuring two-light windows.

Internally, the four-bay nave is divided by two arcades. The south arcade has octagonal pillars with moulded capitals and hollow chamfered bases; the arches are pointed with two double ogee orders. The north arcade is similar in character. The nave roof, dating to the late 14th century, spans five bays and features chamfered arch-braced collars, clasped purlins, arched windbraces and large plain tie beams. The chancel retains its 14th-century barrel-shaped roof. A three-bay arcade opens from the chancel into the south chapel; the easternmost bay is 19th-century work, while the two original arches are of two orders with octagonal columns bearing bead-moulded abaci. A three-bay restored north arcade opens into the 19th-century chancel aisle.

The church retains a carved and panelled pulpit dated 1628, above which a sounding board with turned pendants and open ornament once hung. On the north side of the pulpit stands an elaborate wrought-iron sword-stand decorated with leaf and grape ornament, bearing the arms of the Ferriers Company of London. The font is plain, with an old cylindrical bowl mounted on a 19th-century octagonal stem.

The south-east window in the south chapel contains 15th-century stained glass depicting Saint George with the dragon, Saint John the Divine with the poisoned cup, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, an angel and the Blessed Virgin. The west window of the south aisle contains glass of 1863 by O'Connor.