Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

An Anglican parish church at Marden, comprising a nave, chancel, and west tower. The building dates largely from the late 12th century, when it came under the patronage of Bradenstoke Priory, with substantial rebuilding in the 15th century and restoration carried out in 1885 by C.E. Ponting.

The church is constructed of sarsen and greensand rubble with limestone quoins and dressings, set on sarsen foundations. The tower is built of limestone ashlar. The chancel is of flint with limestone banding and an east gable of brick. The nave has a lead roof, while other roofs are covered with stone slates.

The nave is 12th-century in origin but was largely rebuilt on its earlier walls during the 15th century. A north-west section was rebuilt or faced in the 19th century. Windows throughout are two-light and square-headed with ogee tracery; the south-west window was reset during the 1885 restoration. The 15th-century chancel was rebuilt in 1885 and features cinquefoiled and trefoiled windows, with a reset 15th-century south priest's door. The tower comprises three stages with angle buttresses rising from offsets and terminating in crocketed pinnacles. The tower carries a crenellated parapet, its top section rebuilt in the 19th century. An angled south-east stair tower rises above the parapet, crowned with a sundial gnomon and weathervane.

The inner doorway of the porch is rich 12th-century work featuring a guilloche hoodmould and a chevron inner order set on tall nook shafts. A further inner order of ornamented chevron or chain encloses a torus moulding to the square-headed door, above which the tympanum is plain. Numerous crosses are incised on the jambs. The door itself is 17th-century, cross-boarded with cover mouldings and a heavy lock case.

The interior nave is plastered. The 15th-century roof is low-pitched and panelled with moulded and arcaded tie beams on posts rising to large carved corbels. The chancel arch is outstanding 12th-century work of three orders incorporating a variety of chevrons and rolls with a hollow chamfered outer hood, possibly of later date. The capitals extend as a string with 'jelly-mould' ornamentation. The tower arch, tall and 15th-century, has inner respond shafts with hollow chamfers and an outer ogee moulding treated as columns. An upper rood door on the north wall is blocked. The chancel is fitted with a 19th-century open trussed rafter roof and tiled floor. An aumbry is set in the west wall.

The 12th or 13th-century font stands beneath the tower, a plain octagonal bowl on a slender octagonal shaft. A 17th-century pulpit of oak forms a raised octagon with backboard and octagonal tester featuring carved frieze, cornice and pendants, supported from the wall by ornamental iron tie. Brass candle-holders and a brass lectern are present. The altar rail is of oak on elaborate iron scrolled and painted stanchions. Furniture includes a 17th-century cane-backed arm chair, a small Estey harmonium, and an 18th-century table with turned legs and stretchers. A 19th-century Turcoman-Balouchi rug is also present. Two windows of 1958 are by Kettlewell. Royal arms of George III dated 1772 hang above the chancel arch.

The chancel contains seven Hayward wall monuments. On the north side, from the east, are: a limestone tablet with pilasters and cornice with terminal torches, with an apron supported by an elemental skull, to Mrs Jane Hayward died 1761; a similar tablet to Philip Hayward of Orcheston died 1760; and a tablet with fluted pilasters, cornice and scrolled pediment with central urn and torches, to John Hayward died 1778. On the south side are: a white marble tablet on black to Betty Hayward died 1864; painted limestone with two arched panels defined by leafy shafts and arched pediment containing a putto, urns on gable ends with drapes also bearing a putto, to William Hayward died 1729, Mary died 1734 and son Philip died 1703; and at the west wall, grey and white marbles with corniced panel of fluted pilasters and grey pyramid bearing a tall white urn, to William Hayward died 1806 and relatives.

In the nave stands a Gothic aedicule of limestone on a grey slate field with a white marble panel within an architectural frame and arms above, to Elizabeth Neate died 1840. On the north wall is a white marble cushioned tablet on grey by Harrison with panel carved with a lamp, to Martha Young died 1832 and relatives, alongside white marble on a gabled black field with flared brackets, to Bridget Wadley died 1827. A brass Great War memorial is also present.