Church of All Saints

Church of All Saints

Church dating to 1872. Designed by C.N. Armfield for the Allan family of Hempsyke in memory of their father, John. The building is constructed from cream brick banded in rose brick in English garden wall bond, with a facing of rock-faced sandstone on a chamfered plinth, and features sandstone ashlar dressings. The roofs are of tile and pantile. The structure comprises a north-west tower, a 4-bay nave, chancel, south organ chamber and vestry. The architectural style is Free early 14th-century Gothic.

The tower is in two stages with diagonal offset buttresses. A pointed double-chamfered west doorway in the base features panelled double doors. The north window contains three stepped lancets recessed within a blind two-centred arch. Slit lights appear beneath the belfry string on the north and west faces. The belfry openings are of two lights with scalloped louvres to all faces, recessed in pointed triple-chamfered arches with Geometrical tracery. A chamfered parapet band sits beneath a plain parapet. The west end displays a pointed four-light Geometrical window.

The south side features offset buttresses articulating four bays, each containing pointed windows of recessed paired lights beneath quatrefoils. On the north side, the tower occupies the west end bay with three remaining bays repeating the south side arrangement. A cross-gabled organ chamber rises above a lean-to vestry on the south side of the chancel. The vestry has a two-light mullioned window. The vestry east return and chancel feature chamfered lancets. The cross-gable contains an inscribed dedication panel in a niche beneath a crocketed trefoil arch on squat columns with foliate capitals. The inscription reads: THIS CHURCH DEDICATED TO ALL SAINTS REBUILT BY SUBSCRIPTION AIDED BY GRANT FROM THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS AD 1872 EMBELLISHED AND BEAUTIFIED TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR FATHER BY THE CHILDREN OF THE LATE JOHN ALLAN ESQUIRE OF HEMPSYKE.

A vestry stack rises from the base of the east side of the cross-gable. On the chancel north side are two lancets separated by an offset buttress with gablets. The east end contains a pointed three-light window with Geometrical tracery. A fragment of defaced carved stone, probably Norman, is set in masonry below this window. All gables are coped with gablets at each end of the nave, at the cross-gable and west end. Wheel gables cross to the west end and cross-gable.

The interior retains original fittings throughout, including fine wrought iron door furniture. A pair of 12th-century colonnettes with scalloped capitals are reset in the tower wall. A fine panelled and galleried outer doorcase of timber is present. The chancel arch is two-centred and double-chamfered, with the inner arch corbelled on squat columns. A carved stone reredos depicting The Last Supper by Matthew Noble stands between carved angels raised on column pedestals. The altar is flanked by Commandment and Creed boards in carved double-arched niches on slender colonnettes.

An elaborately carved stone pulpit and lectern are featured. The carved stone font stands on squat columns with an octagonal timber cover, pierced and carved with crockets and angels. Finely carved pews have traceried doors on ornate hinges and elaborate poppyheads. A brass altar rail with floral tendrils and heraldic beasts accompanies a matching pair of tall painted brass candelabra with angels, pinnacles and crockets. A discreetly Art Nouveau brass hymn board is also present. The stained glass is pretty but unremarkable.

A fine hammerbeam roof covers the nave with angel braces and foiled spandrels. Roof panels are painted with floral motifs. The chancel has a wagon roof on angel corbels with carved bosses and painted panels depicting saints.