Church Of All Saints

The Church of All Saints is a church largely dating from the mid-12th century, with significant additions and alterations in the late 12th century, early 13th century, 14th century, and 15th century. It was restored and partly rebuilt in 1858 by S.S. Teulon and in 1868 by G.E. Street. The building is constructed from limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, covered by a Stonesfield-slate roof and sheet-metal sections. It comprises a chancel, aisled nave, a south porch, a west tower, a south-east vestry, and a north-east mausoleum.

The mid-12th century chancel retains a round-headed lancet window to the north, a three-light Decorated window to the south, and a five-light window to the east containing tracery added by Teulon within a 14th-century opening with stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. The vestry, extending the south aisle to the east, was designed by Street. The south aisle features a deep moulded parapet and two square-headed three-light windows, one of which is a restoration. The large porch, also with a moulded parapet, has a late-12th century entrance arch with engaged shafts and a heavy roll moulding; it shelters a fine mid-12th century doorway richly ornamented with chevron and a carved tympanum. A re-used late-12th century doorway with engaged shafts and early stiff-leaf capitals is found on the north side. It extends eastwards to the Jersey Mausoleum of 1805, built as a transept with a tall gable flanked by diagonally-set pinnacles. A north window was “Normanised” by Teulon with plate tracery. The 15th century clerestory has square-headed, two-light, traceried windows. The west tower was rebuilt by Teulon, retaining lancets at the third stage and incorporating the early-13th century arcaded fourth stage into bell-chamber openings; the lower two stages have clasping buttresses.

Inside, the chancel is largely 19th century, featuring an elaborate stone, marble, and tile reredos, and a traceried double piscina. It has an arch-braced 19th-century roof with pierced cusping. A 19th-century chevron-ornamented archway on the north leads to the Jersey Mausoleum. The pointed Transitional chancel arch has clustered responds with leaf capitals and a dogtooth band between two wide rolls. The three-bay north arcade, also contemporary, features circular columns, square capitals, and leaf ornament. The south aisle has a two-bay 14th-century arcade, with an octagonal column and moulded capital, plus an unmoulded pointed arch to the east. The tower arch is mostly 19th century. Arcaded oak chancel furnishings, a low stone screen, and a pulpit are by Street. A 14th-century octagonal font, carved with window tracery and considerably cut down, sits on an octagonal stem carved with a long inscription claiming Edward the Confessor was baptised in it. Chancel monuments include two Baroque cartouches commemorating members of the Offley family and a brass to Elizabeth Harman (died 1607). The Jersey Mausoleum contains elaborate late-18th and 19th-century marble memorials, painted heraldry on the walls and ceiling, and a patterned marble floor.