Church Of All Saints

The Church of All Saints is a parish church with a 15th-century tower, extensively restored in 1853-5. The rebuilding was undertaken by Edward Ashworth, the Exeter Diocesan architect, with builders Samuel Shewbrooks of Taunton. Further decoration to the sanctuary and the provision of an organ occurred in 1873-4. The church is constructed of squared rubble local stone with Ham stone dressings, and has slate roofs with coped verges. A distinctive octagonal crenellated chimney is located in the south-west corner of the south aisle.

The church comprises a West tower, a south-west porch, a north-west vestry, north and south aisles, a four-bay nave, a north-east vestry, and a south-east chapel, culminating in a chancel. The crenellated three-stage tower has diagonal buttresses and two-light louvred bell-openings. A lancet window sits on a string course on the south face below a clock, and a three-light window is situated to the west, alongside a chamfered pointed arch west door. The crenellated single-story porch is approached by a flight of three steps, with a two-light window to the west end of the crenellated south aisle. The south aisle features decorative merlons and four three-light windows set between stepped buttresses. A door, with wrought iron railings enclosing the bay, provides access to a basement boiler room. A polygonal stair turret is also present. The chancel windows are three-light, flanking a priest’s door that is approached by a lateral flight of steps. Decorative rainwater heads bearing a date are incorporated, and the east end has four-light windows to the aisles, flanked by three-light windows between stepped buttresses. The west end features a three-light window and a door below.

The interior is rendered, featuring a moulded pointed chancel arch with angel corbels and a similar tower arch. Open ribbed barrel vault roofs incorporate bosses. A particularly fine example of an oak rood screen, given in 1902, spans the nave, with a continuation as a five-bay screen to the chapel. A low screen between the chancel’s central bays and the south chapel is also present, as is a vestry to the north containing the organ. A west vestry incorporates a singing gallery above. A Bath stone reredos, with crocketed niches for the Ten Commandments, dates from 1873-5. Stained glass from the 19th century of varying quality is displayed, with a noted good quality west window and an east window dated 1864. Commemorative brasses, a marble tablet and convex oval tablets are located within the north aisle and tower respectively. Other 19th-century fittings include a Perpendicular style font and brass coronet light mantles. A lectern was installed in 1912, and a Royal coat of arms, painted on wood and dated 1714, is also present.