Church Of All Hallows

Church of All Hallows

Church dating from the late 12th to 14th centuries. Built of squared coursed ironstone and limestone ashlar with a lead roof. The building comprises an aisled nave and chancel, a south transept, north and south porches, and a west tower.

The south elevation of the chancel is of ironstone with a single range of three-light Perpendicular windows. The chancel's east window is a five-light Decorated window with reticulated tracery forming a roundel at its head. The south chancel aisle, constructed of limestone ashlar, has a four-window range of three-light Perpendicular windows with segmental arch heads, a similar five-light east window, and a south transept window to the left. Two-stage buttresses are positioned between the windows, and the lean-to roof features castellated parapets.

The south porch is of ironstone and rises two storeys. It has a double-chamfered outer arch and an inner door opening of approximately 1070 with a semi-circular head and zig-zag decoration to the arch and shafts. The porch ceiling is a 14th-century tierceron star vault. The south nave aisle to the left of the porch contains a two-window range similar to the south chancel aisle, with a similar west window.

The north elevation of the vestry is of ironstone with one range of two-light square-head windows and three similar east windows. A small corner doorway stands to the right, with a lean-to roof and plain parapet. An octagonal turret rises at the junction of the east wall of the aisle and the north wall of the chancel. The north chancel aisle is of limestone ashlar with a three-window range of three-light Perpendicular windows featuring three-centred arch heads. Two-stage buttresses separate the windows, and the lean-to roof has a castellated parapet. The north nave aisle is of ironstone with a three-window range of similar three-light Perpendicular windows and a similar west window, with a lean-to roof and castellated ashlar parapet.

The north porch, positioned to the left of centre, resembles the south porch with a simple four-centred head to the inner door opening and a wooden ceiling with original moulded beams. The nave clerestory is of ironstone with two-light windows of square and arch-head design. The chancel's east end has a castellated parapet with pinnacles at the corners. Both the nave and chancel have shallow pitched roofs.

The west tower, constructed in the late 13th century, rises in three stages. The lower two stages feature banded limestone and ironstone, while the upper stage is ashlar. Three-stage angle buttresses support the lower two stages. The Decorated west door opening has triple shafts and is surmounted by a rose window. The second stage displays two-light windows on the north and south faces. The third stage, the bell chamber, features pairs of two-light openings with double shafts on each face. A corbel table above is decorated with faces. The tower is crowned by a fine broach spire of ashlar with octagonal corner pinnacles and two tiers of lucarnes.

An inscribed tablet above the vestry window reads: "William Bailey architect all worldly fabric are but vanity to Heavenly buildings for eternity sepult Novemb y. 30th 1674 Etat 80". Statue niches stand above the north and south porch openings.

Interior

The interior features a double-chamfered and moulded chancel arch with continuous chamfered responds. The nave arcade consists of four Decorated bays with double hollow chamfered arches and octagonal piers. A similar Decorated arch marks the entry to the north chancel aisle, while Perpendicular arches serve the south chancel aisle and south transept. A triple-chamfered west tower arch is present.

The chancel arcade comprises four Perpendicular bays with stepped and moulded arches and quatrefoil piers of four shafts and four hollows. The south transept roof is of Perpendicular painted panels with angels and bosses, as is the north chancel aisle roof. The south aisle roofs and chancel roofs retain some Perpendicular moulded timbers and bosses. A four-light stone mullion oriel window serves the parvis room above the south porch.

Perpendicular screens separate the chancel arcades, and late 19th-century screens between the nave and chancel feature attached figures after designs by Sir Ninian Comper. Six stalls in the chancel bear misericords. The Lady Chapel altar table is dated 1633.

Monuments include a tablet dated 1570 in the south aisle featuring two tapering caryatids and strapwork. John Frederick, who died in 1773, is commemorated by a tablet in the north aisle with an urn and obelisk by Nicholas Love.

Stained glass includes fragments of medieval glass in windows of the south porch parvis room. The chancel east window is by Alexander Gibbs (1871), and the south aisle east window is by Evie Hone (1955). All south aisle, three north aisle, and west windows contain stained glass. Two south aisle and three west windows feature late 20th-century glass by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, while others date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

An octagonal font, reportedly the base of a medieval cross, is also present.