Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

This church dates from the late 13th century, with significant alterations made in the 18th century. It was originally built to a cruciform plan with a west tower. The structure is constructed from coursed limestone and lias rubble with ashlar dressings and a lead roof.

The chancel is 13th-century work. Its east window comprises two lancets with moulded surrounds. The south elevation displays a range of two 18th-century windows, each of two lights with Y-tracery. The north elevation is similar, with a tall lancet that is partly blocked. The roof is shallow pitched with a finial and moulded stone cornice.

The south transept dates to the 13th century and contains three 18th-century two-light windows with Y-tracery. It has a gabled roof with an ashlar parapet decorated with a string course and gargoyles.

The nave is 13th-century. The south elevation features a range of two windows with a porch positioned between 3-light and 4-light 18th-century traceried windows. The porch is gabled with six-panelled double doors. The north elevation is similar, with the arcade to the demolished north transept partially blocked and converted into a window with Y-tracery. A shallow pitched roof with castellated ashlar parapet surmounts the nave.

The west tower is late 13th-century work, comprising three stages with angle buttresses at the corners. The second stage has a narrow lancet. The bell chamber in the third stage contains a pair of two-light windows with Y-tracery and moulded surrounds, repeated on each face. The third stage has moulded corners and is topped by a castellated ashlar parapet with moulded pinnacles.

The interior chancel features windows with 13th-century shafts, capitals, and moulded surrounds. A fine 15th-century shallow pitch king post roof spans the chancel. A chamfered chancel arch with truncated shafts is present, with an ogee-headed squint to the right.

The nave windows are similar to those in the chancel. A flat plaster ceiling with an 18th-century painted cornice (restored in 1960) is fitted. A double-chamfered tower arch and a plain chamfered arch to the south transept (with a rood loft opening) are notable features. The south transept has a Perpendicular roof.

19th-century stained glass occupies the east windows, the south-east chancel window, and the north and south chancel lancets. An 18th-century three-decker pulpit with fielded panelling and a single wooden shaft supports a tester with inlay decoration to its underside and a quarter-turn stair with turned balusters. A family pew opposite has a similar stair and a fireplace with marble surround. 19th-century box pews fill the nave. An 18th-century wooden font cover sits in a hexagonal bowl on a pedestal. The communion rail, altar table, and reredos screen are by Lord Mottistone, dating to 1956-60.

The church contains several monuments of note. In the south transept, east wall, is the monument to John Rede (died 1604), featuring an alabaster and marble recumbent effigy on a half-rolled mat beneath a flat arch, with flanking columns and a cartouche below, surrounded by spiked railings. Ten kneeling children are shown at the base. The centre of the south transept holds the monument to Sir John Langham and his wife (1676) by Thomas Cartwright senior, in white and grey marble with recumbent effigies on a tomb chest and cartouches, surrounded by spiked railings. On the south wall of the chancel is a white marble tablet to Mrs Mary Langham (died 1773) with an urn, by Moore. The south wall of the nave displays a white tablet to Sir John Langham with a female figure and three urns. The north wall of the nave bears a marble tablet to Lady Langham (died 1807) with a standing figure, by Bacon Junior. Monuments to Mariane Langham (died 1809) and Lady Langham (died 1810), also by Bacon, feature marble with a draped urn and broken column respectively. In the south-west corner of the nave stands a free-standing marble urn surmounted by foliage, to Sir William Langham (died 1812), by Bacon.

The church was comprehensively restored by Lord Mottistone in 1959-60.