Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

A substantial medieval parish church of 12th to 15th-century date, extensively restored in the late 18th century and again in the mid and late 19th century. The building is constructed of squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings, the tower being of ashlar throughout. The roofs are covered with lead and Collyweston slate.

The church comprises an aisled nave, chancel with north and south chapels, a south porch, and a west tower. The plan demonstrates various phases of medieval development and later modification.

The south chapel projects from the south side of the chancel and is lit by a 2-window range on its south elevation. The western window is a large 4-light square-headed window with 19th-century tracery, while the eastern opening is a single-light window with a 4-centred arch-head. One- and 2-stage buttresses flank these windows. The chapel has a lean-to roof with a plain ashlar parapet and a central gargoyle; its east end is blank. The chancel's east window is a fine 5-light Perpendicular composition with hollow reveals and a 4-centred arch-head. The north elevation of the chancel features a single 4-light square-headed window with tracery containing quatrefoil circles and mouchettes, with a relieving arch above.

The north chapel projects forward of the north aisle and is lit by a 5-light square-headed window on its north face. Flanking 3-stage buttresses support the walls, and the chapel is roofed with a pyramid form topped by a plain ashlar parapet. Its east window is probably of late 18th-century date, comprising 4 lights with intersecting tracery and a transom set immediately below the tracery.

The south aisle is of three bays, continuing in a 2-window range from the south chapel. The right-hand window is a 4-light square-headed composition with 19th-century cusping; the left-hand window is of similar design but with 3 lights and plain-head lights. The aisle has a lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapet. A 3-light west window matches the south-west window in character.

The south porch is of 13th-century date with a central gable. It features a 2-centred outer arch with a double hollow chamfered surround and a panelled door. The inner doorway is of 12th-century origin, with a roll-moulded semi-circular arch-head and one order of shafts; above it is a trefoil-head niche. The gable parapet is of ashlar with a 19th-century finial.

The north aisle was rebuilt in 1856 and is of three bays with 3-light square-headed windows, some incorporating reset medieval masonry. 2-stage buttresses stand between the windows, with a similar clasping buttress at the corner. The aisle has a lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapet and a 2-light west window with a 4-centred arch-head.

The nave clerestory is of four windows, each of 2 lights with 4-centred arch-heads, with the north side having been restored in the mid 19th century. The roof is a shallow gabled form with plain ashlar parapets and a 19th-century finial. The chancel clerestory on its south elevation comprises a 3-window range of 2-light windows similar to those of the nave. This section has a gambrel roof with castellated ashlar parapets and a 19th-century finial.

The west tower is a Perpendicular composition of five stages with a moulded plinth and shallow angle buttresses at the corners. The west doorway has a 2-centred arch-head and hollowed and moulded surround; above it is a 3-light window of similar treatment. Small quatrefoils set in square surrounds appear on each face of the third stage (the eastern example now being internal). The fourth stage has 2-light windows with hollow reveals on each face. The upper stage contains pairs of tall 2-light bell-chamber openings on each face, arranged under single arches with central mullions terminating at the apices. Above is a quatrefoil frieze and a castellated ashlar parapet with gargoyles at each end. The corner buttresses terminate as tall octagonal pinnacles with crockets and weather vanes.

Interior

The interior reveals the complexity of the building's development. The nave arcade is of four bays. The south arcade dates to the late 12th century and features semi-circular double stepped and chamfered arches resting on circular piers with matching responds and octagonal abaci. The north arcade, of later medieval date, has hollowed and moulded arches supported on octagonal piers with matching responds. The chancel arch is a double-chamfered composition with semi-circular responds, probably inserted into an earlier structure. The tower arch is tall and richly moulded with semi-circular responds and castellated capitals. Single-chamfered arches with corbelled responds connect the main structure to both chapels. The north and south chapels are accessed through single bays of double-chamfered arches, with semi-circular responds (the north chapel respond retaining nailhead decoration to one capital) and polygonal responds respectively.

A 5-bay stone screen with an attached doorway stands in the arch leading to the south chapel; its openings have ogee heads with cusping. A similar screen to the north chapel features trefoil-head openings arranged in pairs. Above the south arcade of the nave, a blocked 12th-century window head survives.

The chancel is roofed with a wagon roof featuring moulded purlins and principals, with carved figures at corbel level and rosettes at the intersections. The nave, aisle, and south chapel roofs are of 19th-century date. The north chapel is ceiling with plaster, probably of 18th-century date. A trefoil-head piscina stands to the right of the altar. The east end of the south chapel functions as a 13th-century vestry and retains remains of wall arches and a trefoil-head piscina with roll moulding. A fragment of carved and painted frieze has been reset in the south aisle.

18th-century box pews, some with doors, survive; one bench is dated 1631. An 18th-century pulpit with tester is present. Medieval glass fragments appear in the north window of the chancel, and medieval wall paintings survive in the nave and chancel. A hatchment dated 1826 hangs above the chancel arch. An octagonal font, decorated with shields and tracery, is also of note.

Monuments and Furnishings

The church contains a series of significant monuments. A late 13th- or early 14th-century fragment of an incised slab depicting a figure in a flowing robe is set in the south chapel. Below the south window of the south chapel is an inscribed slab recording Richard de Linden, who died in 1255, and his wife. An inscribed slab below the north window of the chancel records Henry Sampson and his wife, who founded a chantry in 1411, and Robert Senkel, rector. Matrices of a brass with a Perpendicular surround are set into the north wall of the chancel. The east wall of the south aisle carries a pair of arch-headed tablets inscribed with the names of Bridgett Tampon (died 1662) and Mary Brucknell (also died 1662). To the left is a tablet to John Jackson, died 1772. Above is an inscribed tablet to Charles Bletso, died 1753, with a pediment above. Opposite stands a similar tablet to Katherine Bletso, his wife, died 1772. An inscribed tablet alongside features a draped urn and records the family of John Skynner, died 1805, including Captain Lancelott Skynner R.N., who perished in the shipwreck of the Lutine in 1799.