Church Of All Saints

LOPEN CP CHURCH STREET (South side) ST4214 8/54 Church of All Saints 4.2.58

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C12 or C13 origins. Mostly C14 and C15; north transept added 1833, remainder substantially rebuilt between 1874 and 1886. Ham stone, mostly cut and squared but with some coursed rubble, ashlar dressings; Welsh slate roofs with stone slate base courses between coped gables. Three-cell plan of 2-bay chancel, 3-bay nave and north transept, with south porch and western bell turret. Chancel has chamfered plinth, angled corner buttresses; 2-light east window of c1300, without label; 2 lancets on south side and one on north, with slight projection in north-west corner for rood stair having small rectangular light. Nave has offset corner buttresses, one early C19 3-light 'Y' traceried window each side, under curlstop labels; south side also has small pointed-segmental-arched lancet to west of porch; west wall has a mid-C19 2-light traceried window without label, with short buttress under, above which is a simple C19 bell turret with 2 small bells. South porch plain, no buttress, simple chamfered outer arch with early C19 timber gate topped with spikes, very simple pointed inner arch; stone bench seats, and in east wall the headstone of a C12 window with incised radial lines. North transept has 3-light 'Y'-traceried windows to match nave, one in each wall with pointed-arched doorway under curl-stop label in north gable, and on west side a former gallery doorway set tight under eaves, with flight of 10 stone steps having wrought iron handrail. Interior has work of all periods; chancel has segmental-arched ribbed vaulted ceiling of C17 or C18; two blanked-off statue niches with plain 4-centre-arched heads in east wall; doorway to former rood loft stair in north wall, and plain chamfered almost triangular chancel arch. Nave has segmental barrel-vault ceiling without ribs, and walls unplastered below cill level; late C18/early C19 gallery at west end, carrying organ installed after 1945. North transept has full-width quasi-4-centred arch, and barrel vault ceiling without ribs of same profile; the gallery removed in l958. Fittings include C18 communion rail and two C17 chancel chairs; plain octagonal font on octagonal base, possibly C13, and a chancel screen of 1957 by A.F. Erridge. Memorials include an incised and painted lias stone slab to George Sampson, died 1724, set behind pulpit, and 2 early C19 memorials to members of the Templeman family. Chancel windows of 1868 and 1897, the latter of good quality. (VCH, Vol III, l974; Hopper S, Lopen and its Church, Petherton Press, 1975).

Listing NGR: ST4271414498