Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

This is an Anglican parish church of multiple periods, principally dating from the 12th to 15th centuries, with substantial reworking in 1847 by the architect T.H. Wyatt. The church is built of greensand rubble and squared stone, with limestone ashlar to the chancel. The roofs are slate, except for copper to the chancel and lead to the chapel.

The structure comprises a 12th-century or earlier nave, enlarged by a late 13th to early 14th-century north aisle and a slightly later south aisle. North and south porches date from this period. A 13th-century north transept and chancel were built, with a 16th-century south chapel added. The 15th-century chantry chapel was converted from the south transept. The 13th-century west tower was heightened in the 14th century.

The nave features a lancet clerestorey. The aisle windows are 19th century with two trefoiled lights. The chancel has lancets, with 19th-century triple lancets at the east end. A three-light west window has been altered. The chantry chapel has three-light square-headed windows and a blocked west door. The tower is diminished above roof level and carried on internal arches, with two stages featuring ogee lights to the upper chamber and two-light bell openings. A polygonal stair turret with two sundials and crenellated parapet completes the exterior.

Internally, the nave is tall and plastered with wide embrasures to the clerestorey windows and a high lancet in the east wall. The north arcade comprises four bays with slightly pointed simple arches on boldly carved capitals and round columns, each with a single recessed order. The south arcade also has four bays with pointed arches on round columns and capitals. A contemporary tower arch with attached shaft in the reveal and a simply chamfered chancel arch are present. The 19th-century roof has open trussed rafters. The aisles are extended by one bay westward to clasp the tower.

The chancel extends four bays with a panelled vault, a south priest's door, and a large trefoiled piscina. The south chapel to the chancel is plastered with heavy roof joists and a four-light internal window to the south aisle. It contains a piscina with a bowl on an attached shaft. Various floor slabs commemorate the Becket family and John Harvest of Potterne, died 1671. The south transept has a very wide arch with a coarse panelled soffit, walls with plaster removed, and a flagged floor. A moulded east door leads to a lobby opening to the south chancel chapel. The tower has arches supporting the upper structure, and the hood moulding to the nave arch has been removed.

The font, reset under the tower, dates from the late 15th to early 16th century, consisting of a shallow bowl on an octagonal panelled column raised on a plinth. The chancel was completely refitted in the mid-19th century. The pulpit is 19th-century oak with panelling. An organ is also present.

The monuments are numerous and of high quality. In the south chancel chapel, a white marble wall monument with side pilasters, apron and arched cresting with urn commemorates Thomas a'Beckett, died 1792, with wife and descendants added; a marble tablet of 1823 commemorates William a'Beckett. The south transept chapel contains a very fine monument in Carrara marble on a black plinth, featuring a reclining figure on a sarcophagus with grottesche and a rear panel supported by scrolls bearing a long inscription in a garland, pulvinus and broken pediment, with mantled arms and flaming vases, dedicated to Henry Danvers, died 1684. A 15th-century wall tomb contains the limestone image of a lady in wimple, chatelaine and purse. Another wall tomb in white and black marbles depicts a relaxed lady in veil, reading, with a shield behind her head, commemorating Elizabeth Dantesay, died 1636. The west wall carries two white marble tablets on grey backgrounds to Margaret Henderson, died 1840, and Amelia Kelsey, died 1841, by Osmund. An east wall Gothic aedicule in limestone commemorates Rev Robert Caswall, died 1846.

The north transept contains ten monuments. On the east wall is a handsome wall monument of 1732 with a framed panel, side scrolls, putti on the apron, and a segmental pediment with applied coloured arms, to Thomas Hunt and family. The north wall carries five monuments: William Tinker, 1829; Louisa Tinker of Conock, 1860, by Reeves of Bath; Sarah Frederick, 1832, by Reeves; Jane Williams, died 1790, with an urn over tablet on bracket; and Charles Tinker of Littleton House, 1833. The west wall has an oval panel to John Smith, 1786; a wide sarcophagus to Thomas Smith, died 1823, by King of Bath; and a corniced tablet with urn over to Sarah Hewett, died 1821, by King. The south wall carries an aedicule in coloured marbles with segmental pediment and putti on the apron, to Sarah Amor of Patney, died 1753. The north aisle contains a fine wall monument of 1732, identical to the Hunt monument, to Margaret Hunt, died 1731, and a small limestone panel to Ienever Ioyerbury, died 1672.

Much stained glass dates from the 1840-60 period. A small medieval figure is set in a nave east lancet. A roundel of various glass, including medieval pieces from Ypres Cathedral (non-fixture), is also present.

Brasses include John Kalmus in the chancel chapel; John White, 1693, Thomas White, 1675, and Peter Anderton, 1699, in the north transept (all refixed on wall); Margaret Dauntesay, 1571 (palimpsest on Latin brass), John Dauntesay, 1550 (palimpsest on a Flemish brass), and a detached male figure in armour in the south chapel; Christopher Merewether, 1660, Katherine Poulgraine, died 1712, and Jerome Allsopp, died 1918, in the south aisle.

Furniture includes a late 16th-century table altar in the south chancel chapel and a chained copy of 'Companion to the Temple' by Thomas Comber, published at St. Paul's Churchyard in 1684.