Church Of All Saints, Oaksey, Wiltshire, SN16 (Grade I)

ST 99 SE OAKSEY THE STREET (south side)

3/134 Church of All Saints

28.10.59

GV I

Anglican Parish Church. Probable C12 origin, C13 (chancel and south arcade), C14 (north porch), mid C15, 1633 (south chapel arcade) and late C19 restoration. Squared and coursed rubble with dressed stone to north porch, flush rusticated dressed stone quoins, ashlar dressings, copings and battlements; Welsh slate roof to nave, stone slate roof to chancel. Nave, chancel, west tower, south aisle and porch, north porch. Nave has C15 three- light fenestration under flat heads with hoodmoulds; similar windows to south aisle but with a C13 lancet to left of porch and a 2-light C13 window to right. Nave clerestory of 3-light C15 windows under pointed heads. Moulded cornices and embattled parapets to nave and aisle. Chancel has single C13 lancet fenestration to side walls and a 3-light C14 style C19 east window with face stops. Tower of 3 stages: first and second C13, bell- stage C15. Clasping west buttresses up to first stage string course and embattled parapet with gargoyles below. West face has round-arched doorway with plank door and lancet above to first stage, clock to second and on all other faces except east; 2- cusped-light bell openings with slate louvres to all faces. Gabled south porch with round-arched doorway, plank door and sundial below gable apex. Early C14 north porch with cusped and sub-cusped ogee-headed doorway, 2-leaf studded plank outer doors, inner pointed-arched doorway with 2-leaf plank door and Virgin and Child statue in niche above; benches either side. To left of porch on nave wall is a Sheila-na-Gig carving. Interior: 4-bay south arcade with circular abaci and double- chamfered arches; segmental-arched tower doorway with deep revealed pointed-arched light above. C19 Early English style chancel arch with rood stair to right. One-bay C17 arcade in- chancel giving onto south chapel. Flat and coved plaster vaults throughout, that to nave with fine face corbels form former timber roof. Fittings: C13 font at north door: circular pillar and bowl. Fragments of early C17 wall paintings on nave walls; north wall has 2 tablets to William Goddard (1795) and William Butt (1777). South aisle south wall has superb series of early C15 murals depicting St Christopher, Christ of the Trades and an obscured section. C15 roodscreen and fine C19 choir pews possibly ,with C15 carving. C15 stained glass to nave north-east window, late C19 glass to chancel east window. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, 1975)