Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints, All Cannings

An Anglican parish church of cruciform plan dating from the 12th century, with significant additions and alterations spanning the 15th, 16th centuries and later. The most recent major restoration was carried out in 1869 by Henry Weaver. The building is constructed of ashlar limestone with slate roof to the nave, lead to the tower and aisles, and tiles to the chancel.

The church is organised on Norman lines with a cruciform plan, featuring aisles to the nave and north and south porches. The Beauchamp chapel projects from the south transept as an eastern chapel. The transepts and aisles are crenellated above low pitched roofs, with fine carved parapets to the transept and south-east chapel. The aisle windows are of three lights with panelled Perpendicular tracery, as are the transept gables and west window.

The chancel was originally rebuilt in 1678 and was reconstructed again in 1868-9 in Bath stone. It features paired lancets and a triple east window with carved decoration set within an arched string. A Lombardic corbel table with carved copings runs along the wall. The central tower rises in three stages with a plain parapet and incorporates a square stair tower in the north-east corner, with angle buttresses throughout. The south porch contains reset triple 13th-century shafts and capitals, with a square-headed inner door featuring casement mouldings. Three mass dials are cut into the south transept gable.

Interior

The nave arcade comprises three bays on round columns with differing octagonal capitals, supporting double chamfered arches. The roof dates from 1638 and features intermediate trusses with a plastered vault. The south aisle has moulded beams and purlins similar to those found in the adjacent Old Rectory, while the north aisle retains a 16th-century roof. The crossing piers incorporate two short 12th-century columns with trumpet scallop capitals.

The south transept contains a simple piscina. The north transept now serves as the vestry and organ chamber and is fitted with a braced rafter roof. The chancel is Tractarian in character, with windows featuring marble internal shafts incorporated into continuous wall arcading punctuated by quatrefoils. A three-bay wooden ribbed vault spans the space. An alabaster gabled reredos carved with a relief of the Last Supper is flanked by texts set within trefoiled niches. The floor is tiled and inscribed with the initials of the Methuen family.

Fittings and Monuments

The church contains a 15th-century font with a low octagonal bowl decorated with quatrefoiled panels and a conical carved cover dated 1633 (T.M.). A late 19th-century octagonal pulpit is complemented by 19th-century pews and choir stalls. The altar rail is supported on wrought-iron supports.

The monuments are scattered throughout the church and represent various periods. In the nave, two wall tablets on the west wall commemorate John Fowle (died 1772) with a pedimented marble panel, and William Fowle (died 1796) on a marble panel with pilasters and a vase on a grey pyramid. A large limestone aedicule with a broken pediment in the north aisle bears a hatted bust crest and contains inscriptions to the Ernle family: Gertrude Ernle (died 1715), Elizabeth Ernle (died 1729), Walter Ernle (died 1733), and Reverend Sir John Ernle, Baronet (died 1734). The south aisle contains a large limestone tablet with Ionic paired columns and a carved pediment surmounted by eagles, inscribed to William Ernle (died 1581) and his wife Jone. A marble tablet with coloured inlay and an urn above the pediment commemorates Richard Riggs (died 1774) and his wife. Another marble aedicule with a painted crest above is inscribed to John Nicholas (died 1737). In the north transept, a baroque tablet mounted on a death's head corbel commemorates David Cosens (died 1730). The Beauchamp Chapel contains three wall tablets: one by Rogers (1872) to Sarah Hitchcock; one by Reeves of Bath (1821) to Henry Hitchcock; and another by Reeves to Simon Pile Hitchcock (died 1850) and family. The chancel north wall displays a white marble pedimented tablet with an urn above and arms on the apron, inscribed to William Fowle (died 1779), along with various 19th-century brasses.

Glass

Fragments of medieval glass survive in the heads of the east windows of the chapel and in the transept windows. The chancel glass is by Lavers and Barraud.