Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints, an Anglican parish church at Kingsdon with origins in the 13th century and subsequent modifications, was restored in 1869 and 1906. The building is constructed from local grey lias stone, cut and squared, with Ham stone dressings and stone slate roofs between coped gables topped with cross finials.

The church follows a four-cell cruciform plan, with a later north-east vestry and organ chamber, a south porch, and a 15th-century west tower that replaced an earlier north tower. The chancel features a plinth and simple eaves course with angled corner buttresses. Its east window contains three lights with reticulated tracery and a plain stop arched label with cill course. To the south are a two-light and three-light traceried flat-headed window, probably 15th century, with square stop labels and a moulded pointed arched doorway between them lacking a label. To the north of the chancel lie the vestry and organ chamber; the vestry has a catslide roof and a pair of trefoil arched windows, while the organ chamber features a Welsh slate lean-to roof behind a moulded parapet with single 16th-century style single-light windows to the east and north.

The north transept, formerly a 13th-century tower, displays a double plinth, side buttresses, string course, and stepped coped gable. It contains 15th-century traceried windows with three lights set in deep hollow pointed arched recesses, one to the east and one to the north, beneath square stop labels, and a small plain pointed arched doorway on its west side. The south transept shows three building periods in its east wall, with the south gable probably dating to the 19th century. It is plainly detailed with double plinth and a wide, shallow 15th-century style south window in a hollow pointed arched recess, likely 19th-century work.

The nave exhibits several alterations with former windows blocked on the south and north sides. The north wall contains two two-light windows, probably 19th century, with pointed arch heads and no labels. The south side retains one 16th-century two-light traceried window with flat head in a hollowed recess without label. Against the south transept stands the south porch, featuring small side pilasters and a south gable with cross finial. The outer moulded archway is probably 15th century with a square stop label, corbel capitals, and high plinths to side shafts. The inner arch is moulded with four centring and contains two small lancet niches, one above the doorway and one in the east wall. Stone bench seats and a rib and panel vault ceiling, possibly 17th century, are present.

The west tower, 15th century, replaces the earlier one over the north transept. It is four storeys tall with double plinth, offset corner buttresses for three stages, and angled pilasters to the corners of stage four. String courses run around the tower, with the top one featuring gargoyles and a battlemented parapet. A hexagonal stair turret extends to full height with a west doorway set on the north-east corner. The west door features a four-centred arch in a deep hollowed recess with incised spandrels and a square label linking with the cill string to a four-light 15th-century traceried window in a deep hollowed pointed arch recess, with the label cutting into stage two, which is plain throughout. Stage three has a flat arched two-light window with relieving arch above on the south side. Stage four displays pairs of two-light pointed arched windows with traceried transomes in deep hollowed recesses, flanked by diagonally set pilasters, to the east, west, and south, with one matching window to the north.

Much of the interior work dates from the 1869 and 1906 restorations, particularly the roofs. The chancel arch was enlarged in the 15th century and resembles the outer porch arch and transept arches, though the arch into the north transept is an uncomfortable fit. A tall panelled 15th-century tower arch is present. Fine rere-arches to the north transept windows exist where the walls remain unplastered.

Fittings include an early 17th-century panelled wood pulpit, probably dating to 1627, mounted on a 19th-century stone base, and a nearby 19th-century chest alongside a medieval chest. The font is probably 13th century, comprising a tulip bowl on a circular shaft, lead lined. A trefoil ogee arched piscina is located in the north transept. Most other fittings date to the 19th century.

Memorials include a small brass plate in the north chancel wall commemorating Johanes Dotin, Rector, also Rector of Exeter College Oxford and noted astrologer, who died in 1561. A brass to Dorothy Hilbourne, died 1732, is positioned in the north transept. On the cill of the north window in that transept lies a late 13th-century stone effigy, possibly of Brian (III) de Gouvis, Lord of the Manor. Two early 19th-century marble monuments are located in the chancel.

The church was first recorded in 1242.