Description

ASFORDBY CHURCH LANE
(East Side)
SK71 NW Church of All Saints
2/2
1.1.68

GV I

Parish church. C14 with older origins. C15 clerestory and tower. Restored
1866-7 - chancel - and 1868-9 - body of church - by G G Scott. Ironstone
ashlar with limestone dressings. Swithland slate roof to chancel, lead and
copper roofs to body of church. Chancel, vestry, organ chamber, aisled
nave, N and S transepts, the latter with W aisle, S porch and W tower.
2-bay chancel has 3-light E window with reticulated tracery, 3-light window
to SE with intersecting tracery and cusped heads to lights, and 2-light
window to SW with 3 quatrefoils to head and ogee-arched heads to lights; all
have hood moulds and label stops. Priest's door to S with hollow chamfer,
roll and wave mouldings to hood mould. C19 vestry and organ chamber occupy
N side of chancel and have Swithland slate roofs; 2-light E window and
double-chamfered door to vestry and 2-light N window to organ chamber with
chamfered mullion. Nave has 4-window clerestory of 3-light windows with 4-
centred heads except for 2-light windows above transepts which have straight
heads and round-arched heads to lights. N transept has 3-light N window
with 4-centred heads cinquefoil-headed lights and hood mould with label
stops. N aisle has 3-light window to N with chamfered mullions and straight
head, double-chamfered N door with moulded imposts and 3-light window to W
end with straight head and reticulated tracery. S transept has 3-light E
window with reticulated tracery and 3-light S window with reticulated
tracery, mouchettes and small quatrefoil to head, both with hood moulds. S
window of W aisle of transept has 2 cinquefoil-headed lights, pointed
trefoil to head in spherical triangle and hood mould. Porch is attached to
W aisle of S transept and has lean-to roof. S door has roll moulding
flanked by ballflower trails in hollow chamfers and hood mould with label
stops. Porch has double-chamfered doorway with polygonal responds and 2-
light window to W with straight head and chamfered mullion. S aisle has 2-
light window to SW with Y tracery and 2-light W window with heads to
lights and vesica piscis to heads with quatrefoil cusping within, both with
hood moulds. 3-stage tower has roll-moulded and chamfered doorway with
quatrefoiled spandrels in moulded rectangular surround with hood mould. 3-
light window above has Perpendicular tracery and hood mould with label
stops. Niche above window with ogee-arched head. Middle stage has small
2-light windows to N and W with hood moulds and label stops. 2-light bell-
chamber openings with cusped tracery and hood moulds. Battlemented parapet
with crocketed pinnacles to angles, gargoyles and frieze below with cusped
lozenges alternating with shields in quatrefoils. Recessed crocketed spire
with 2 tiers of lucarnes in alternating directions. Tower has very large
diagonal offset buttresses. Aisles have clasping buttress projections to W
angles topped by octagonal panelled pinnacles, that to N aisle with tiny
ogee-headed niche facing W. Nave, aisles, transepts and porch all have
battlemented parapets. Clerestory has crocketed angle pinnacles to
ballflower to base of parapet on S side . S transept, porch and aisle have
similar ballflower ornament to base of parapets. Transept and S transept
aisle have clasping butresses to angles, polygonal above string course, and
topped with stepped pinnacles bearing foliated crosses facing E. Chancel
has plain stone-coped parapet and offset buttresses to angles and between
bays to S.
Interior: Chancel has reredos panelling incorporating Jacobean carved
panels, piscina with cusped head and quatrefoil drain, 3-seat sedilia with
many-moulded openings with ogee-arched heads and aumbry above - possible
Easter Sepulchre - with sunk quadrant moulding to aumbry and 2 ogee arches
to head of recess below. Former 3-light N window of chancel now looking
into organ chamber has intersecting tracery. Double-chamfered chancel arch
with semicircular responds, moulded capitals and polygonal abaci. Nave has
3-bay arcades with double-chamfered arches; circular piers and semi-
circular responds to N with moulded capitals, octagonal piers and polygonal
responds to S. Some stiff-leaf ornament to capital of NE respond.
Perpendicular roof to nave with angels to principals on carved stone corbels
holding musical instruments. N transept has piscina with credence shelf and
round-headed arch with chevron ornament, and Perpendicular roof. S
transept has piscina with attached shafts and nailhead ornament to head. 2-
bay arcade to W aisle of transept with central octagonal pier, and double-
chamfered arches. Tower is flanked by W ends of aisles and has double
chamfered arches to 3 sides. Main arch between tower to nave has polygonal
responds with brattished capitals. Stone vault to tower with circular
central opening, diagonal and ridge ribs. C15 Rood screen with broad 1-
light divisions, ogee arches and tracery. C15 bench end of which half
survives and retains original blue and red coloured decoration. 3 portions
of Saxon cross with scrollwork, a dragon on one stone a figure giving
blessing on another. Stained-glass windows to chancel S transept and S
aisle. That to S transept 1880 by Ward and Hughes. S window of transept
aisle 1873 by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake. Monuments: Slate wall
monument in vestry to Mary Galloway d.1820 signed by Hull and Pollard.
3 slate wall monuments in S transept with gilded incised circular
inscription panels, late C18 that to left signed JS/Frisby, middle one
signed Burton and that to right W Cox.
Buildings of England Leics 1984 p77.

Listing NGR: SK7081218939

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• All Saints' Church, Asfordby at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17526041

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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