Church Of All Saints

CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS

Parish church at Rushton. Norman in origin, largely rebuilt in the early 14th century, then restored in 1853 and 1869 by E.F. Law. The north-east chapel was reroofed following a fire in 1963.

The building is constructed in coursed squared ironstone with limestone dressings, beneath lead and Collyweston stone slate roofs. It comprises a west tower, nave with north aisle and south porch, chancel, north-east chapel, and south-east vestry.

The three-stage west tower features set-back buttresses, square-headed lights to the first two stages, and two-light bell-openings formed as twin lancets in an arched recess. Above is a later limestone castellated parapet with corner pinnacles. The tower's west entrance has 19th-century double doors on decorative hinges set within an arched opening of three chamfered orders.

The south side of the nave has buttresses with a sill band and two two-light traceried windows with hood-moulds, each slightly different in design. To the left of the porch is a square-headed window. The south porch itself has a coped gable, moulded arched entrance, and small two-light traceried windows (now blocked) flanking it on either side. The nave features three three-light Perpendicular clerestory windows to the south and three two-light clerestory windows to the north.

The north aisle has three two-light square-headed Perpendicular windows with hood-moulds and head-stops, and a 19th-century door in an arched surround of two hollow-chamfered orders. The chancel has a parapet gable and a three-light Decorated-style east window, with a three-light Decorated-style window to its south side and a moulded plinth. The gabled vestry has a roof of graduated and shaped stone slabs. The north-east chapel has a coped gable, limestone plinth, sill band, and quoins, with a two-light Decorated window to the north and east, and a 19th-century north door in a keel-moulded arched surround.

Interior

The nave has a three-bay north arcade of two chamfered orders carried on cylindrical columns with plain capitals. A low, round-headed tower arch (little more than a doorway) with chamfered impost blocks leads to the tower. An organ apparently conceals a Norman window above. The chancel arch is tall and slightly stilted, with polygonal responds. The arch from the aisle to the chapel is similar but features semi-cylindrical responds with tall roll-moulded capitals.

A two-bay north chancel arcade of two chamfered orders contains a quatrefoil central pier with roll-moulded capital and polygonal responds with capitals similar to those of the chancel arch. The nave roof is arch-braced from corbels to tie-beam, the north aisle roof comprises tie-beam trusses, and the chancel roof is arch-braced from corbels to collar, all restored in the 19th century. The north-east chapel roof is 20th-century work.

The sedilia, in Decorated style, are elaborate and playful, with nodding ogee hoods carved with figures and beasts, crocketed gables and pinnacles above. Most of the fittings and stained glass are 19th-century.

Monuments and Contents

The north-east chapel contains a late 13th-century Purbeck marble effigy, traditionally identified as William de Goldingham (died 1296), and an alabaster effigy of Sir Thomas Tresham (died 1559), shown in the dress of Lord Prior of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The Tresham effigy was removed from the demolished Church of St. Peter, Rushton, which was taken down in 1799.

The vaulted vestry has an incomplete transverse chamfered rib on a corbel.