Description

GREAT FARINGDON CHURCH STREET
SU 2895 (north side)

3/14
Church of All Saints
21.11.66

- I

Stone church mostly of C12 to C13 with C15 and C19 additions and alterations,
'one of the richest churches in Berkshire' (Pevsner). Stone tiled roofs. Nave
and aisles, transepts, chancel and north-east chapel. Broad short crossing
tower. Nave: Early and late C12. Early C12 buttresses to west front, late C12
4-bay arcade with moulded round arches and round piers with stiff-leaf capitals.
Narrow round-headed clerestory lights. C15 Perpendicular west window and west
door. North aisle altered in C15, 2 fine 6-light Perpendicular windows to north
side and projecting C19 baptistery with reset late C12 doorway with crenellated
frieze around arch and weathered carved jambs. South aisle rebuilt 1853
(J Hugall, architect) with exceptional C13 plank door with rich scrolled
dragon-head ironwork. Crossing: Late C12, richly shafted with varied stiff-leaf
caps and 4 moulded pointed arches. Small quatrefoil recesses in spandrels with
carved heads. Upper part of tower C13 with 2 plain lancets in recesses to each
face. Top of tower and spire destroyed 1645. Plain parapet. North Transept:
C13 with C14 west aisle. Large pointed chamfered C13 east wall arch with
smaller C15 opening to north-east chapel inset. Smaller C13 arch adjoining,
opening to C19 vestry, 2 C19 north lancets. West side has narrow late C12
pointed billetted arch to north nave aisle on C19 pillar and wide C19 arch to
transept aisle. Fine C14 4-light north window to aisle, recticulated tracery
and elaborate cinquefoiled rear arch. South Transept: 1853 with western aisle
to match north side, lancet windows. Chancel: C13 with range of 6 lancets to
south wall, 3 to east end, 2 to north wall with 2 C15 arches to north-east
chapel. C13 trefoil headed piscina and later C13 elaborate triple sedilia on
south wall. C14 to C15 trussed rafter roof. North-east Chapel: C15 with 5-
light east window and 4-light north window. Monuments: series of small reset
C15 brasses in chancel. 3 fine C18 marble monuments in north-east chapel to
Henry Pye and his two wives. In north transept and aisle C16 monuments to Unton
family, especially Sir Thomas Unton d.1533, chest tomb with two recumbent
figures, Sir Alexander Unton d.1547 Purbeck marble Gothic canopied recess with
brasses. Kneeling female figure part of a supposed larger monument to Sir Henry
Unton d.1596. Also fine late C17 marble monument to Sir Henry Purefoy of
Wadley. Stained Glass: c.1852 glass in east windows and 2 chancel lights each
side. South transept glass by Wailes, c.1865 in south lancets, c.1855 in
transept aisle.

Listing NGR: SU2887095726

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529181

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings