Building record 2203/1/4 - Church of All Saints

Late 12th-early 13th, 14th and 18th centuries, restored in the 19th centuries. Squared coursed and regular coursed limestone with ashlar spire. Lead, Colleyweston and Welsh slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, transepts, north and south porches, vestry and south west tower.

{1} Church. Late C12, early C13, C14 and C18, restored C19. Squared coursed and regular coursed limestone with ashlar spire. Lead, Colleyweston and Welsh slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, transepts, north and south porches, vestry and south west tower. South elevation of chancel of 3-window range of lancets. Window to far left is a low side lancet with central transom and partially blocked lower light. Blocked priests door, with semi-circular head, to left of centre. Shallow gabled roof with Welsh lates has corbel table with plain ashlar parapet and 2 gargoyles. Ashlar gable parapets with finials at apex and eaves. Triple lancet east window. North elevation of chancel is a 2-window range of lancets, similar to the south elevation, with a low side window to the far right. C18 vestry, attached to left bay, has gabled roof with Colleyweston slates and ashlar gable parapets. Arch head doorway, with window above, in east elevation. Single-light window, with pointed head, in north elevation. Lean-to attached to west is probably C19. South transept has 3-light west window, with intersecting tracery with cusping, restored C19. Shallow gabled roof with finials at appex and eaves. East return wall has a 2-light square-head window with plate tracery. Lancet window, to right, is in east wall of south aisle. West return wall is blank. North transept has 4-light north window with paired lights with Y-tracery and 4-centred arch head. Shallow gabled roof all similar to south aisle. East re urn wall of 2-window range of 2-light windows with Curvilinear tracery. West return wall has single lancet. South aisle has central gabled porch. Double-chamfered outer arch has crude cluster responds and semi-circular inner doorway with roll moulding continued as single shaft. Ashlar gable parapets and Colleyweston slate roof. North aisle has similar central porch with fine mid C13 outer doorway. Moulded arch with 2 orders of colonnettes. Single chamfered inner doorway. Shallow gabled roof wit ashlar parapets and finials at appex and eaves. Some original roof structure remains. Steeply gabled nave roof has Colleyweston slates and ashlar parapets and finial. South west tower of 2 stages with 3-stage clasping buttresses to 3 corners of lower stage. Lancet windows, to south and west faces of lower part of first stage, have dogtooth decoration above; the south window is blocked. West window above has trefoil cusping. Wooden clock face over window has single handed mechanism. 2-light bell-chamber openings, with transom, to each face of upper stage, have central column and cluster shaft responds. Lower lights are blind. Semi-circular hood mould over. Bell-chamber openings are set in recessed panels with a section of corbel table above each panel. Broach spire with 3 tiers of lucarnes, the lower tiers are of 2 lights with a central column. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade. North arcade has semi-circular double-chamfered arches with a circular pier and semi-circular responds. Water eaf capitals with square, notched, abaci. Section of wall between centre and east arches. Later south arcade is similar. Triple-chamfered tower arch to west. Similar arch on return wall of tower facing into south aisle. Semi-circular, double-chamfered, chancel arch is similar to north arcade. 2-centred, double-chamfered, arch between north aisle and north transept has short cluster shaft respond supported on corbelled bracket. Nave roof has queen posts braced to collars, dated 1636 on purli . 3 other purlins are decorated and cross beam has cross keys, short square wall posts. Chancel roof has King post truss braced to ridge, original moulded beams with carved bosses. Both roofs restored C19. C19 aisle and transept roofs. The east windows have fine roll moulded heads and cluster shafts. Double piscina to right of alter has detached shafts and dogtooth decoration. Fine early/mid C13 blank arcading to north and west wall of north transept, has roll moulded heads and detached sh fts. Plain square-head aumbry to left of north transept altar has C17 panelled door. Double piscina in south transept has central shaft. Vestry doorway has rosette label stops. Perpendicular chancel screen with one-light divisions. Late C13/early C14 benches ends in south transept incorporated into C17 pews, one has date "1B, 1663". Octagonal font with flat trefoil arches around bowl and detached shafts around base. C17 pulpit. C17 style panelling around altar. C18 poor box on bolection mould d shaft. Stained glass: C19 and C20 stained glass to transepts and south east window of chancel. Wall paintings: traces to left of pulpit and in north transept arcade. There is evidence of a steeper pitched roof which originally spanned the nave and aisles as a single pitch. Monuments: partially legible early C18 marble wall tablet to right of altar, has segmental pediment above and cherubs with trumpets and an open book below. Captain John Orme, died 1764 and wife: marble wall tablet to left o altar has broken pediment above and naval devices below. Various C19 and C20 inscribed wall tablets in chancel and transepts including those to Rev. Euseby Isham and Ferguson family. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: p375; VCH: Northamptonshire, Vol.3: p101; RCHM: An Inventory of Architectural Monuments in North Northamptonshire: p131)

{8} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 19/102 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G10 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> 1975-85, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN100542.

<5> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<6> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<7> Lee M., 2004, Henry Penn, Bellfounder, 1685-1729, p.41-53 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109357.

<8> Photographs of buildings in Polebrook (Photographs). SNN113566.

<9> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East) (Archive). SNN113295.

<10> Historic England, All Saints Church, Polebrook, BF107387 (Archive). SNN115002.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 12:14PM