Church of All Saints

Details

PITTON AND FARLEY CHURCH ROAD, Farley SU 22 NW (north side) 10/121 Church of All Saints (formerly listed as Church of St Mary the Virgin) 25.5.60 GV I

Anglican parish church. 1688-90 probably by Alexander Fort to designs by Sir Christopher Wren, for Sir Stephen Fox, restored 1874 by Ewan Christian. Red brick in English bond with channel pointing, stone dressings, and tiled roof. Nave with north and south transepts forming Greek cross, chancel and west tower. Nave and transepts treated symmetrically on elevations, with central entrance to transept, a door with stone architrave, pulvinus and cornice on consoles, all over 3 steps with wrought iron railings. Moulded plinth and raised quoins to all corners, stone cornice at eaves. Architraved oculus over door. Nave and chancel windows round headed with stone architraves and small keyblocks. Square paned leading but decorative leading to chancel, and small priest's door under. Chancel has pediment over central section of cornice and three light round headed window. Window of north transept blocked. Tower of 3 stages, with stone bands at storey levels, and architraved rectangular openings to bell stage. Square sundial below. Low parapet over cornice and raised ball finials to stone corner blocks, each surmounted with iron wind vanes with brazen tails. Door on south side has rounded head, architrave and open pediment on consoles. Bench mark on tower. Interior: Wide nave, plastered, with panelled dado. Low plaster vault over simple cornice, all refurbished C19. Limestone flagged floor. Round arch to chancel with elementary capitals and key blocks, similar arches to north and south transepts, and smaller similar arch to tower. Chancel short, also with pointed plaster vault. Reredos by W.F. Dixon, executed by Salviati in Alabaster and Devonshire marbles framing mosaic panels. Base of tower on same level as nave, tiled dado. North transept, the Ilchester Chapel raised on step over vault below. Plaster ceiling and black and white marble tiled floor. South transept contains organ and entrance passage screened in C17 panelling. Transepts and Chancel have oak screens, C17 and replicated in C19, panelled and with tall turned balusters and pulvinated entablature. Fittings: Font, under tower. Limestone, a lobed bowl on baluster stem, late C17, with oak crown cover. Pulpit: C17, octagonal, panelled with rusticated arches and turned handrail to steps. Lowered in C19 and tester removed. Clergy desks constructed from C17 panelling from pulpit, C19. Choir stalls 1874 with book stands on small turned columns. Oak altar rail. Ilchester Chapel has C20 reredos and Altar table by Noyes and Green, carved from oak from Downton Church. Glass to east window by Dixon. Monuments: Chancel: Two wall tablets. White marble on black slate by Soper of Sarum, to Rev Thomas Henderson, died 1905, and a similar monument by Osmund of Sarum, to Rev Hugh Stephens and wife, died 1843. Nave, north side: C18, marble, by Sir R. Westmacott Jnr. A pedimented catafalque with border containing long inscription to Henry Thomas, Earl of Ilchester, died 1802 and his 2 wives. Sculptured panel below with reclining grieving mother and naked children. Profile portraits in spandrels. Angled end pilasters with pelicans under honeysuckle. South side: A gothic marble panel on slate by Bossom of Oxford. An angel ascending holding scroll. To Henry Fox Strangeways, died 1837. Over tower arch an oval marble panel on slate rectangle, to Charles James Fox, statesman, died 1806 and buried at Westminster. In Ilchester Chapel, three outstanding wall monuments on north wall. At centre, Carrara marble aedicule with composite columns carrying segmental pediment. Coloured arms with suspended garlands and lamps over. Gadrooned base on consoles, all on limestone brackets. Inscription in antique French to Sir Stephen Fox 1636 - 1716, and son Stephen, died 1718. To left, an elegant aedicule, grey and white marbles. Corinthian columns supporting a curved pediment. Flaming urn and lamps connected by garlands over. Within, a curtained niche revealing swathed bust of Dame Elizabeth Fox, died 1696. Gadrooned base. Inscription in Latin on shaped apron, terminating in conjoined putti. To right, a third marble aedicule. Open segmental pediment on Composite columns. Coloured arms in spandrel with garlands. Gadrooned base. Inscription in English in panel with reentrant corners with putti. To Charles Fox, MP, 2nd son, died 1713, and his wife. All three monuments protected by reset early C18 wrought iron railings across transept. Also 2 simple marble panels, (a) to Hon. Juliana Fox, died 1749, and (b) Charlotte Fox, died 1755. Nave and chancel have numerous painted texts on metal panels mounted on walls. Four hatchments: In Ilchester Chapel, (a) Henry Fox, Baron Holland of Foxley, 1774, (b) Georgiana, Baroness Holland, 1774. West wall of nave; (c) Charles James Fox (?) died 1806 and (d) Henry, 2nd Earl of Ilchester, died 1802. Furniture: In sanctuary, 2 cane backed chairs, probably C17. Late C17 Communion table in vestry. (Pevsner, Buildings of England, Wiltshire, Colvin, H.M.A. Biographical Dictionary. Information in Church. Summers, P. Hatchments in Britain, 4)

Listing NGR: SU2244429592

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

320015

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Colvin, H M, A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects 1600-1840, (1954)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, (1975)
Hatchments in Britain in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, (1974), 4

End of official list entry

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