Church Of All Saints

ALFORD CP ST63SW 1/2 Church of All Saints 24.3.61 GV I

Anglican Parish Church. Almost completely C15, with minor C19 restoration. Local lias stone cut and squared, Ham stone dressings; plain clay tile roofs between coped gables, those to chancel and porch having bands of scallop tiles. Two cell plan of 2-bay chancel and 3-bay nave, with west tower and south porch. Chancel has moulded double plinth, angled corner buttresses, cross finial to east gable; 3-light C15 traceried window in slight hollowed recess in east wall, under pointed arched label with headstops; matching 2-light windows to north and south sides, all but the south-west having external ferramenta; between south windows a 4-centre arched moulded doorway with floriated spandrils under square label with headstops. Nave has chamfered plinth, bay buttresses, string course with gargoyles and battlemented parapet; 3-light windows matching chancel east window. South porch has coped south gable with cross finial and wide, almost triangular-arched doorway with quatrefoil spandrils under square label with headstops; inside similar but plainer moulded doorway apparently with original door. Tower of 2 stages; angled corner buttresses to lower stage, plinth, string course, plain low parapet, pyramidal roof; stage 1 plain to north and south, but has mou1ded pointed-arched west doorway, without label and above a plainer 2-light window, possibly C14, without label; to all faces stage 2 a single trefoil cusped light with incised spandrils to head, no labels. Inside, the chancel has a king-post trussed roof with traceried infill panels, all members including rafters and purlins moulded; decorative eaves band; drops to trusses supported on angel-carved corbels - all C15 with a little C19 restoration; C19 reredos panels and choirstalls, but a complete C15 screen without overthrow, possibly a relocation; the moulded chancel arch possibly C14. Early C17 altar table. Nave has shallow ribbed and panelled roof, probably C19; very small and plain tower arch: elaborately carved pulpit dated 1625, set into 4-centre arched recess in north wall, with supporting low screen of verger's desk, and back panelling; plain octagonal font, and a number of carved bench ends with poppyheads to medieval benches; good early C20 timber screen to tower. All nave windows have internal ferramenta, with a considerable amount of medieval stained glass in north windows, including large figure of St Mary Magdelen; good Cl9 stained glass in south chancel windows, one dated 1859 and the other 1898. One memorial tablet over south door, a draped plaque to John Thring, died 1830. First recorded rector 1329. (Pevsner, N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958).

Listing NGR: ST6046232606