Monument record HTC 016 - Church of All Saints

The church of All Saints is within the diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the archdeaconry of Sudbury, and deanery of Lavenham. Status: rectory (S1). The structure is: chancel, nave, clerestory, N aisle, S aisle, S porch, embattled W tower (S2). The chancel is Decorated with many later insertions. During the restoration of 1878 the E and S walls of the chancel had to be taken down but they were rebuilt in the style of the original work. Remains of the old E window were found built up in the E wall at the time. The piscina in the chancel has a crocketted canopy. The lower part of the early C16 rood screen remains, its 8 panels are painted with angels bearing instruments of the passion. The nave is Decorated and the clerestory, with 4 small quatrefoil windows on each side of the nave, is early C15. The nave roof is early C17 of Spanish chestnut : double hammer-beams alternate with arched braces masquerading as hammer-beams. Against the lower hammer-beam ends are big emblems such as roses, shields and a sun with crowns over it. The initials JR appear upon the central hammer-beam; this indicates the nave roof was started in the reign of James I. The arcades are probably C14 and consist of 5 bays with octagonal piers and double chamfered arches. The font is a stone octagon with a decoration of vine branch, leaves and grapes on the bowl. The windows in the S aisle are Decorated with segmental heads. In the S wall, at the E end of the S aisle, is a small piscina. A small water stoup is contained in a half pillar at the E end of the N aisle. The aisle roofs are Perpendicular "lean-to" roofs with bosses and date from the early C17. The initials CR appear on the roof at the E end of the N aisle : this indicates the completion of the N aisle roof in the reign of Charles I. The flint tower is square with buttresses and in the Perpendicular style. As at Cockfield, the E buttresses of the tower rise from the floor and overlap the W arches of the nave. This is a sure sign of the independent existence of the tower before the nave was extended W to its present extent. The S porch is Perpendicular and has flushwork panelling : it is very similar to the porch at Bildeston. The outer arch is carved with various devices, over it is a niche with a square-headed canopy. In the buttresses at the angles are two similar niches. The S porch was restored in circa 1888. The S doors are traceried and have a typical band of carved trail ornament surrounding them (S2).