Description

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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of All Saints, Alford at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5116778

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair