Church of All Saints

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 21 January 2025 to reformat the text to current standards.

SP 6003

CUDDESDON AND DENTON
CUDDESDON
Church of All Saints

18/07/63

GV
I
Church. Mid-late C12, aisles C13, C15 chancel restored 1849 by B. Ferry, restoration of 1851-53 by G.E Street. Limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; some old plain-tile roofs. Cruciform plan with central tower, the three bay nave having aisles to north and south and porches to south and west.

Two-light side windows of chancel have pointed segmental-arched heads; three-light east window is probably C19. Transepts are late-Romanesque, the north retaining its corbel-tables and angle-shafts; rebuilt south wall with C15 three-light window matching that in the north transept. Aisles originally C13 with surviving lancets to west, and east of the south porch, a triplet above which is a two-light window of c.1300, formerly a gabled dormer but incorporated into C14 walling when the aisles were raised. Two-light window with reticulated tracery west of the porch and two two-light windows with Geometrical Decorated tracery in north aisle.

South porch is probably C14 and shelters a transitional doorway under a moulded outer arch with dogtooth ornament on detached shafts with carved capitals. C14 clerestory has two pointed-trefoil windows each side. West wall of nave is largely late-Romanesque with clasping angle-shafted buttresses and a sumptuous doorway having an outer arch of two orders, projecting under-cut lozenges and a row of dogtooth ornament, on detached shafts with primitive stiff-leaf capitals. The door retains its elaborate C12 crescent hinges. The deep semi-circular porch has an entrance arch of two chamfered orders on detached shafts with moulded capitals. The north west
stair turret to the three-stage tower has angle-shaft to its top stage; elsewhere the tower has pairs of angle buttresses. The top stage with paired lancet openings was rebuilt in 1630.

Interior: chancel has two bay blind arcades over the side windows and an elaborately-coffered canted roof with carved bosses, probably C19. The transepts have blind semi-circular arches to east, the north incorporating a blocked C12 doorway and window; round the walls are stone benches, and the roofs have arched braces to collars and curved wind-braces, possibly C15. The crossing has elaborate arches with much chevron, and compound piers with a variety of fluted and water-leaf capitals. The ribbed vault is by Street. C14 nave arcades and arch to south transept, but the shallow-pitched five bay nave roof is probably C17 and has square baluster king-posts. The west wall has the remains of C12 vaulting-shafts.

The oak benches include much C17 panelling, some carved with lunettes but the chancel woodwork is entirely C19. The pulpit of 1896 is by C.E Kempe. Much C19 stained glass: west window of 1852 by Hardman to Street's design; east window of c.1890 by Kempe and probably also several aisle windows; episcopal armorial panels in the chancel. Monuments include a wall plaque of 1620, three late C18 memorials with classical surrounds and cartouches, and wall-tablets to several C19 bishops of Oxford. The C12 crescent hinges on the west door are good examples of the 40 or so surviving. The church belonged to Abingdon Abbey.

Listing NGR: SP6007603054

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

246391

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Oxford, (1957)
Hollister Short, G J, Discovering Wrought Iron, (1970), 12
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 562-3

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.