Listed Building: CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS (382024)

PORTLAND SY6871 STRAITS, Easton 969-1/4/60 (North side) 21/09/78 Church of All Saints II Anglican parish church. 1914/1917 by Crickmay and Sons. Portland ashlar, tile roofs, with 4 courses of stone slates to eaves level of roofs other than nave and aisles; lead to S chapel. Four-bay nave, cross-gabled aisles, north-west porch, transepts, chancel, south chapel, vestry; the west end of S aisle intended to carry tower, not built. Windows generally in Perpendicular style, but to chancel are late Decorated. All gables with copings - at lower levels a hollow-mould saddle back, and high level stepped and weathered - and all on slight plinth. West front with large 5-light, gabled buttress to left and gabled porch slightly set forward, with segmental-pointed arch over plank door. Hopper-head on return by buttress. To right a square buttress with toothing to receive tower, and flat segmental-headed arch over door in set-back end of aisle; to right further toothing and base of large square buttress for tower. South side has bell in small bellcote on west gable end, then 3 gables over 4-light windows separated by deep weathered buttresses to single offset. Four cast-iron hopper-heads and down-pipes. Transept gable on haunches flanked by gabled buttresses over 4-light and an offset gabled porch with plank doors to pointed arch. Beyond is chapel to blocking and parapet with two 2-light cusped lights, and a stone hopper-head, behind which are three 3-light chancel windows. East end has low gabled end to chapel over 3-light with flat pointed head, and main gable with terminal cross and large 5-light window. Set back, to left, long low wing with 2 windows and door. North front has gabled end to low block with 2 and 3-light windows and door, under single light to chancel, then high gabled organ loft, with large square stack, and semi-octagonal stair turret to pyramid capping. Remainder of north side - transept and aisles - as S front. Interior: Four-bay nave on moulded arches to quatrefoil piers with roll mould. Arch-braced roof principals, simplified at half-bays; complex aisle roofs, painted timber wagon ceiling to chancel. Unplastered walls. Panelled wall with central curtain to reredos to cill height, 4-centred arch over door N side to vestry, under stepped string course continued to S side over piscina and sedilia, and similar door to S chapel. Simple original pews, and good choir stalls, splendid octagonal carved wood pulpit on striped stone base. Windows in S chapel by Clayton and Bell, dedicated to Canon John Augustine Beazer (1872-1909), of St. George, Reforne (qv) - the church replaced by All Saints. Octagonal font and cover with animal supporters. A very confident design, with meticulous detailing, retaining most of the original fittings. It is unfortunate that the intended tower was not built. At the west end is a large framed (undated) tithe map. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Newman J: Dorset: London: 1972-1989: 341). Listing NGR: SY6929471850

Record last edited

Nov 19 2013 12:42PM