Church Of All Saints And Chest Tomb Attached To North Aisle

Church of All Saints and Chest Tomb Attached to North Aisle

This church dates from the late 12th to mid-13th century with further development in the 14th century. The tower was rebuilt and the church restored in 1868–70. The structure is built of regular coursed limestone with ashlar dressings, and features a spire and 19th-century plain tile and lead roofs. The plan comprises an aisled nave, chancel, north transept, west tower, and south porch.

The south elevation of the south aisle displays a 2-window range of 2-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred arch heads and hollow surrounds. Below the left window is a blocked square-head low-side window. A chamfered and stepped south doorway, now blocked, has one order of shafts. The aisle is covered by a steeply gabled roof with 19th-century ashlar gable parapets and finial. The east end has a 3-light east window with trefoil above, flanked by 2-stage clasping buttresses.

The north elevation of the chancel shows one 2-light Perpendicular window, restored in the 19th century. A 19th-century lean-to vestry is attached to the north of the chancel, with 2 lancet windows and a small doorway. The south aisle comprises 4 bays with a 3-window range: the left window is 2-light with heavy Y-tracery, the centre is a 3-light plain Perpendicular window, and the right is a 19th-century 3-light square-head window. A single lancet occupies the east elevation. The lean-to roof has ashlar gable parapets.

The 19th-century south porch is gabled with a chamfered and moulded outer arch. The upper part of the return walls is formed of four 2-light openings with wood mullions and trefoil heads. The inner door dates to the late 12th century and features chevron, nail head, and half nail head decoration with 5 orders of shafts; the inner shaft is shorter and recessed. An inscription inside the porch commemorates William Baker, who died in 1865 after 47 years as rector of Hargrave.

The north aisle displays a 2-window range: a 2-light square-head window to the left, restored in the 19th century, and a 3-light Perpendicular window to the right. Between the windows is a double chamfered and stepped north doorway with one order of shafts. The lean-to roof has an ashlar gable parapet to the right.

The north transept abuts the east end of the north aisle and has a 3-light Perpendicular north window with cusping and 4-centred arch head, beneath a shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets.

The nave clerestory comprises a 4-window range of 4 19th-century quatrefoil circles, with a chamfered stone cornice and steeply pitched roof with 19th-century ashlar gable parapets and finial.

The west tower is of 3 stages with 2-stage angle buttresses to the lower stage. A tall west lancet occupies the lower stage, and a trefoil appears on the west face of the second stage. The 2-light bell chamber openings to each face of the upper stage have Y-tracery and central octagonal shafts. A corbel table and broach spire with 3 tiers of lucarnes crown the tower. A circular stair turret with conical stone roof is attached to the south-east corner of the lower 2 stages.

The interior features a 4-bay nave arcade of double chamfered arches with 2 octagonal piers to the east and one circular pier to the west, with octagonal responds. A double chamfered chancel arch has semi-circular responds, and a tall double chamfered tower arch has bracketed responds. A double chamfered arch marks the eastern intersection of the north aisle and transept. The roof structures are 19th-century, with moulded beams to the belfry ceiling. An arch-head recess appears in the north wall of the chancel. A squint between the transept and chancel has a trefoil-head niche below. A shallow recess with segmental head occupies the east wall of the transept.

The font is octagonal with a band and 2 carved heads, set on a re-used rectangular plinth. A Perpendicular screen, restored and repainted in the 19th century, displays pews with Perpendicular tracery to ends and fronts, some with linenfold panelling; some pews in the aisles are 19th-century reproductions. Fragments of medieval glass survive in the north aisle, with 19th-century glass in the south-east window and south aisle south-west window, and the 19th-century east window. A fragment of incised stone is set in the north transept window sill. A hatchment hangs over the north door. Remains of medieval wall painting depicting Saint Christopher survive on the north wall of the nave. An early wooden almsbox on a chamfered column is present.

A stone coffin with lid, attached to the exterior of the north aisle on a 19th-century plinth with inscription, was erected there by Reverend R.S. Baker and J.W. Rawson Ackroyd in 1893.