Church of All Saints

Details

CHILSON SHORTHAMPTON SP32SW 2/11 Church of All Saints 27/08/57

GV II*

Church. C12, with C13 or C14 alterations, partly rebuilt in the late C14 or C15, chancel rebuilt in the mid-C18, and south porch and belfry added in the late C19. Church restored in 1902-3 at the expense of Mr. V.J. Watney. Coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; ashlar chancel and porch. Roofs not visible behind parapets; stone slates to porch. Two-bay nave with south porch, and one-bay chancel. Nave: moulded cornice and ashlar parapet with chamfered coping. C19 gabled west bellcote with truncated finial and 3 arched openings. South front: 2 late C14 or C15 square-headed windows of 2 ogee cinquefoil-headed lights with quatrefoils in spandrels, moulded reveals, and returned hoodmoulds. Central C15 boarded door with strap hinges and wave-moulded archway with returned hoodmould. Porch has coped parapeted gable with cross at apex, chamfered trefoiled archway and boarded door with strap hinges; interior with side bench to right. Lean-to stone shed to right of porch with boarded door. West end: square-headed C15 window of 2 depressed-arched lights with returned hood mould and wrought-iron bars. C12 chamfered round-arched blocked doorway to left, with impost moulding and returned hood mould. North side: central low buttress with offset. C12 small chamfered round-arched window to right with hood mould and probably C17 two-light chamfered mullioned stone window to left with rectangular-leaded lights. C20 lean-to boilerhouse to left with stone slate roof and truncated stone stack against wall of nave. Chancel: raised eaves band and low parapet with chamfered coping. Round-arched east window with plain architrave, raised cill, impost blocks, keystone and rectangular-leaded glazing with radial head and central cast-iron casement. Reused C14 low-side window to south with 2 ogee trefoil-headed lights under square-head, C18 flush stone surround and plain leaded glazing. Interior: C18 three-bay nave roof with king-post trusses, c.1902-3 moulded brackets with carved rosettes, reused medieval carved stone head corbels, and single purlins. South windows with hollow-chamfered jambs, the left-hand window with recess below. Cinquefoil-headed piscina with shelf and scalloped bowl. C12 north window with deeply-splayed jambs. Blocked segmental-arched north doorway. C13 or C14 double-chamfered chancel arch. Squint to right with Tudor-arched head and chamfered left-hand reveal with broach stop. Two-bay chancel roof consisting of king-post truss with chamfered tie-beam and ridge piece, the rest ceiled. Fittings: C18 or restored (c.1902-3) communion table with bulbous legs. Communion rails of c,1902-3. Marble floor to sanctuary. Plain benches. c18 box pews with H-hinges, pew to pulpit with raised and fielded panels. C18 two-decker pulpit with moulded top rail and winder stairs. Wig peg on side of chancel arch behind. C12 plain circular stone font, lead lined. Old coat pegs on north wall in front of blocked doorway. Fragments of medieval wall paintings, including the early C14 St. Leonard and St. Frideswide on the north wall, the C15 Miracle of the Clay Birds on the south reveal of the squint, remains of the C15 Last Judgement over the chancel arch, and the C15 legend of St. Eloi and the horse, a rare depiction of St. Zita, St. George and the Dragon, and St. Eligius, all on the south wall of the nave. Other faded fragments, including remains of colour on the chancel arch. Late C17 or early C18 painted texts on the west wall with scrolled surrounds, one illegible and the other with the inscription "Now my God/let (I beseech thee)/thine eyes be open/and let thine ears be/..... unto the prayer/that is made in this/place/II Chrons Chap/VI v.10", Some probably late C17 or early C18 painted gadrooning above south doorway. Tablet to right of door, inscribed: "THIS CHURCH - OF ALL SAINTS/SHORTHAMPTON - WAS RESTORED IN 1903 (THE REMAINS OF ITS/OLDER MURAL PAINTINGS, WHICH/HAD BEEN HIDDEN FOR SOME 350/YEARS BEING THEN UNCOVERED),/AND WAS REOPENED FOR THE/SERVICE OF GOD ON NOVEMBER 1ST,/ALL SAINTS DAY". The 1902-3 restoration was carried out at the expense of Mr. V.J. Watney of Cornbury Park (q.v.). (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p763; Kelly's Directory of Oxfordshire (1911): p318)

Listing NGR: SP3282220102

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

252451

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974)
Kellys Directory in Oxfordshire, (1911), 318

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.