Church Of All Saints

The Church of All Saints is a parish church dating to the 12th century, with significant alterations in the 13th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. It is constructed of rubble flint with stone and brick dressings, all rendered, and has an old plain tile roof. The church originally comprised a 12th-century single-celled chancel and nave, to which were added a late 12th-century north and south aisle and attached east chapels, all under a roof extending from the nave roof. A later west tower, a south porch, and a 19th-century north-east vestry were added. The chancel has narrow round-headed lights dating to the early 12th century on the north and south sides (the north light being obscured by the vestry). The east window has 19th-century Y-tracery and a hood moulding set within an earlier opening, accompanied by diagonal buttresses with sloping tiled faces. Most other windows are plain lancets, mostly restored in the 19th century, with the exception of a small cinquefoiled light west of the porch. The south porch is entirely plastered, including the pointed arch of the doorway. The west tower has a stone lower stage, painted weather-boarded upper stages, a hipped roof, and a weathervane. The lean-to vestry to the north wall of the chancel shares the same roof pitch but at a lower level. Inside the chancel, the early 12th-century side windows have inclined jambs on the inner splays, and the east window has jambs with engaged angle shafts dating to around 1300. A trefoiled piscina, also dating to around 1300, is located in the southeastern corner, featuring a projecting draining bowl, with a squint (a small viewing window) from the south chapel. The arches to the chapels are plain square-pointed, with a string at the springing, dating from around 1180. The north chapel has a blocked east window of two trefoiled lights from around 1300, and a trefoiled piscina with a shelf in the arch. Pointed arches are located at the west ends of both chapels. The nave was rebuilt in the late 12th century, featuring two bays of pointed arches, plain responds, and round piers. The piers have moulded bases with angle spurs, square abaci, and capitals with multi-scalloped decoration on the south side and trumpet-scalloped decoration on the north side. A late 12th-century Purbeck table font sits at the west end, with a round arcade on its sides, resting on a central column with missing outer shafts. Nearby, against a respond, is a c. 1190 pillar piscina with a leaf capital. The tower has a 19th-century groined vaulted ceiling and a pointed arch. The belfry houses an early 16th-century bell cast by Roger Landon. A painted and gilded chancel screen, with a beam above it, and the roof of the nave and aisles, were added in 1904 by Sir Ninian Comper. A late 17th-century Royal Coat of Arms is displayed on canvas. Monuments include those of Rev Hopkins (1708) and Rev Harrison (1811), along with cartouche tablets from 1695 and 1735.