Details
SJ 5024-5124 CLIVE C.P. CHURCH ROAD
(east side)
13/17 Church of All
28.10.60 Saints
GV II*
Parish church. Circa 1190, restored in 1849. Largely rebuilt and enlarged
in 1885-7 by Charles J. Ferguson of Carlisle at the expense of Mr J.J. Bibby
and Mr T. Meares with the tower,spire and baptistery added in 1892-4,
also by Ferguson, at the expense of J. J. Bibby and in memory of his
wife. Dressed and ashlar (C19) red and grey Grinshill sandstone. Plain
tile roofs. Nave (incorporating C12 north and south walls) with north
porch, chancel with north vestry, and west tower with spire. C19 additions
in a Late Decorated style. Tower: 3 stages. Chamfered plinth, chamfered
offsets, gabled angle buttresses with chamfered offsets, octagonal stair
turret to south-west, pierced parapet, and crocketed corner pinnacles
with flying buttresses to spire. Broach spire with 2-light lucarnes
on cardinal faces, smaller lucarnes higher up on alternate faces, and
finial with cross. Paired louvred belfry openings, each of 2 cusped
lights with 2 orders of shafts and hoodmoulds with carved stops. 2-
light second-stage windows to north, south and west with hoodmoulds.
3-light first stage west window with mullions continuing straight up
through tracery to arch, and hoodmould with carved stops. South doorway
with moulded four-centred arch and panelled doors. South porch has
Tudor-arched entrance with carved spandrels, blind 2-light window to
left, rectangular window to right, carved cornice, parapet with traceried
panels, and wrought-iron gates to interior with traceried-panelled vault
inscribed "RING IN THE TRUE" and "RING OUT THE FALSE". Door to stair
turret above porch. Nail-studded boarded north door to basement. Nave:
chamfered plinth to north, C14 and C19 buttresses, coved cornice, and
parapeted gable end to east with cross at apex. South side: 3 restored
C14 windows each with 2 trefoiled lights, chamfered reveals and hoodmoulds
with carved stops. C19 cinquefoil-headed lancet to left with hoodmould.
Blocked C17 round-arched doorway off-centre to left with chamfered reveals
and hoodmould with carved head at apex. North side central pair of
restored probably C14 straight-headed windows each with 2 cinquefoil-
headed lights; C19 cinquefoil-headed lancet's to left and right with
hoodmoulds. C12 round-arched doorway off-centre to right with dogtooth
decoration, chamfered imposts, and one order of shafts with moulded
bases and stiff-leaf capitals; late C19 porch with chamfered plinth,
angle buttreses with offsets, parapeted gable with gabled kneelers and
cross at apex; moulded arch with carved decoration, one order of shafts
with moulded and carved capitals, hoodmould with carved stops, and pair
of slatted doors with strap hinges and chamfered reveals. Interior
of porch has stone bench to left with traceried panel behind. Chancel:
chamfered plinth, coved cornice and parapeted gable end to east with
cross at apex. South side: central buttress, lancet to left with cinquefoil -
head and hoodmould and large window to right with 3 cinquefoil-headed
lights and hoodmould with carved stops. Short piece of retaining wall
adjoining to right. East end: chamfered string course below cill.
Large window with 3 trefoiled ogee-headed lights, flowing cusped tracery,
moulded reveals and hoodmould with carved stops. Vestry to north: 2
parapeted gables to front and integral lateral stone stack to left with
pair of octagonal shafts. Window in left-hand block with 3 trefoiled
ogee-headed lights; right-hand block with blind cusped quatrefoil in
apex of gable, first-floor 2-light square-headed window to right and
boarded door to left with strap hinges and four-centred chamfered arch.
Wall projection at right angles to left over entrance to crypt (?)
and returning as retaining wall. Interior: sumptuous late C19 fixtures
and fittings. 5-bay nave roof and 2-bay chancel roof with intermediate
trusses; arch-braced collar trusses resting on hammer beams with pierced
spandrels, carved wooden angels, moulded brackets and stone corbels;
panelled frieze. Tower arch with 2 continuous outer mouldings and
half-octagonal inner shafts with moulded bases and carved capitals,
and supporting moulded arch. Baptistery beneath tower has stone lierne
vault springing from carved angels at corners labelled "Pietas", "Charitas",
"Spes" and "Fides" with carved bosses and central circular panel; south
doorway with carved wooden surround and Lombardic frieze above with
carved drops; recessed window seat to west and string course to north
with carved stops. Chancel arch with continuous outer moulding,and
triple round inner shafts with moulded bases and carved capitals and
supporting moulded arch. Pair of arches in north wall of chancel,
left-hand one containing organ and right-hand one to vestry; central
octagonal pier with moulded base and capital, and moulded arches. East
window with moulded rear arch, nook shafts with moulded bases and carved
capitals, and hoodmould with carved stops. Rich furnishings including,
in chancel: wooden reredos with alabaster copy of Leonardo de Vinci's
Last Supper, panelled altar with marble top, sanctuary panelling, recessed
sedile with traceried back panel and canopy, and brass and wooden altar
rails. Elaborate wooden screens to organ chamber and vestry, 2 sets
of elaborately panelled and carved choir stalls with poppy heads (some
resembling upturned Ionic volutes), integral wooden and stone pulpit,
and free-standing carved wooden lectern. Nave contains pews with traceried
end panels (and incorporating elaborate wrought-iron donation boxes
in rear of those near north door), wainscot panelling,and brass oil
lamps suspended from ceiling (now electric). Baptistery has octagonal
stone font (said to be a copy of that in the parish church of Dewsbury,
Yorks.) with wrought-iron canopy suspended from ceiling boss, and wooden
benches on 3 sides with turned baluster legs and backs. Ogee-arched
piscina in vestry. Memorial beneath tower inscribed: "TO THE GLORY
OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF SARAH BIBBY BORN 28 DEC 1817 DIED 19 MAY/1892
THIS TOWER AND SPIRE ARE DEDICATED BY HER HUSBAND JAMES JENKINSON BIBBY".
The vestry contains two drawings by Ferguson of the tower and spire,
signed and dated 1892. The 1885-7 work cost £5,000. J. J. Bibby (of
the shipping family) lived at Sansaw (q.v.). The church stands in
a prominent position on the slopes of Grinshill Hill. D.H.S. Cranage,
An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, Shrewsbury
Churches, pp.854-5; B.O.E, p.101; Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire
and Shropshire (1905), pp.69-70.
Listing NGR: SJ5147924028
