Church Of All Saints

CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS

Parish Church (Anglican), located on the west side of Wraxall Hill. The church dates from the 12th century, with alterations and enlargements made in the early to mid-13th century and late 14th century. It was restored in 1851 and 1893 by Sir Arthur Blomfield.

The church comprises a west tower, nave, north aisle and chapel, south porch and chapel, and chancel. The exterior is built of ashlar and coursed rubble with freestone dressings, with slate and lead roofs featuring coped raised verges and plain parapets behind.

The west tower is distinctive, constructed of banded stone in two colours. It rises in 4 stages with diagonal buttresses set back by off-sets. The parapet is blank arcaded with an image niche at the centre of each side, and is topped by square corner pinnacles surmounted by smaller pinnacles. A polygonal stair turret projects from the north-east. The tower is lit by 2-light windows in two tiers divided by a string course that rises to form a head mould. The west-facing window is also 2-light with an image niche above it featuring an ogee head, and the moulded west doorway sits below.

The nave and south chapel are lit by three 3-light Perpendicular-style windows with cusped tracery and square hood moulds. The south side is buttressed with off-sets, and a sanctus bell-cote rises over the east gable.

The south porch is a square projecting structure with diagonal buttresses set back by off-sets. Its pointed doorway comprises 2 orders with stiff-leaf capitals to the columns (restored). A dripmouth with carved head stops rises above. The first floor is lit by single-light lancets, and a sundial sits at the centre of the parapet. A decorative wrought-iron gate guards the entrance.

The chancel features a pointed priest's door with an inner roll moulding and head stops, and an outer hood mould also with head stops. Two 2-light Perpendicular-style windows with cusped tracery and square heads and dripmouth sit flanking the east end. The east window is a 5-light Perpendicular-style window added in the 19th century.

The north aisle is lit by three 3-light Perpendicular-style windows matching those on the south side. A projecting polygonal rood stair turret rises from the north side. The north door is pointed with an outer roll moulding and hood mould featuring carved stops.

Interior

The nave is spanned by 4-bay arcades. The piers consist of alternating engaged columns and hollow mouldings with moulded capitals and abaci. The tower arch is of continuous double hollow and ogee moulding; the chancel arch is of continuous hollow and roll moulding. The nave and north aisle roofs are 19th century, but rest upon a fine collection of 14th and 15th-century carved corbel heads. Former doorways to the rood stair have chamfered surrounds and 4-centred heads. A 4-centred headed doorway with the same profile gives access to the upper room of the porch west of the south door.

The south chapel is entered through a tall 4-centred arch of hollow and wave mouldings. Within are 2 piscinae with ogee and trefoil heads.

The chancel is largely the work of Blomfield dating from the late 19th century. It features a 5-bay arch-braced collar-beam roof with cusped wind-bracing. The pulpit, lectern, organ and benches are also mid to late 19th century in Perpendicular style, as are Blomfield's particularly well-carved screens.

The font is 15th century, octagonal and built of ashlar, with 2 blank arches on each side. On the pier adjoining the font is a stone book-rest supported on the demi-figure of an angel.

Glass

A good collection of glass by C.E. Kempe dates from 1896 onwards, donated by the first Lord Wraxall. In the room above the porch is a late 15th-century lancet representing the Five Wounds on a shield held by an angel.

Monuments

The chancel contains an early 16th-century tomb chest to Sir Edmund and Lady Gorges, showing them in armour and robes with a finely carved front of heraldry flanked by angels, and a simple inscribed marble plaque to Thomas Holt, died 1687.

In the south chapel are aedicular marble tablets to Charles Brent (died 1729) and Margarita Coopey (died 1744), flanked by pilasters with friezes.

The nave contains a marble monument to John Lucas (died 1817) by Tyley, showing two parents standing by an urn. The north aisle holds a marble seated figure against a curved pedestal to L. Lucas (died 1807), a marble plaque with an urn to W. King (died 1792), and marble and freestone gothic inscribed plaques with gabled canopies to George and Henry Seymour (1827).

The church is prominently situated and forms a fine landmark, demonstrating excellent details of Perpendicular-style architecture both medieval and late 19th century by Blomfield.