Building record 0156000000 - ALL SAINTS CHURCH, MARSWORTH

Dimensions - Length 30m, Width 13m.
Plan Form - Subrectangular.
Consists of nave, embattled tower, chancel, S aisle. Formerly a N porch & probably a N aisle (B1-2).
Late C12 S aisle, formerly nave, C14 nave, chancel, S chapel. C15 alterations & W tower. All much restored 1882-91 by Rev F W Ragg (B3-6).
State of church in C17 (B7).
At NGR (B10).
Negative watching brief in 1995 (B11).
Grade II+. Parish church. Late C12 S. aisle, formerly nave, C14 nave, chancel and S. chapel. C15 alterations and W. tower, the latter incorporating older masonry. All very much restored 1882-91 by Rev. F.W. Ragg who was also responsible for the decoration of the chancel. Limestone, clunch and flint, mostly chequered. Lead roofs except for tiled chancel. W. tower of 3 stages has plinth, angle buttresses and rebuilt parapet. 2-light traceried openings to bell-chamber, paired except to south. S. side has cusped niche to second stage, W. side has 3-light cusped window over doorway with old moulded surround and C19 carved spandrels. Nave has battlemented parapet, C19 corbel table with carved fleurons, and octagonal turret for rood-loft stairs at E, end. Perpendicular windows, 3-light to left, 2-light to right. C19 N. porch. Chancel is of rubble stone and has elaborate C19 4-light traceried window. S. aisle has battlemented parapet, 3-light Perpendicular window to right, much restored, and C19 gabled timber porch with tiled roof. S. chapel has parapet with C19 carved friezes, a 4-light traceried window to E., and 2 3-light windows to S., the left with Y tracery, the right Perpendicular. Interior: Tower arch is triple chamfered, the inner orders on semi-octagonal piers with C13 stiff-leaf capitals. Tower also contains other fragments of old masonry. 3-bay arcade between nave and S. aisle has double chamfered arches, broach- stopped, on octagonal piers with moulded caps and bases. 4-centred arched openings to rood loft and stairs in nave. S. aisle has arched recess in S. wall. Both nave and aisle have C15-C16 roofs, restored, with moulded cross beams. Arches to chancel, and chapel were remodelled C19 and rest on shaft corbels with richly carved foliage bases and caps, those to chancel with carved heads of virtues. Chancel has similar ornamental shafts to each corner and centre of N. wall. Other C19 decoration of chancel includes arched panels filled with carved foliage ornament along N. wall and in window reveals, and blind trefoil arcade above choir stalls. 2 arches to S. chapel are similar to nave arcade, the E. arch old, the other totally restored. Elaborate cusped piscina in S. chapel. C19 fittings, the pulpit on a re-sited C14 stone capital carved with angels. Monuments: altar tomb in S. chapel with carved alabaster panels, pilasters with incised figures on black marble tablets, and brass panel at one end with scene of reclining knight surrounded by mourning family, signed 'Evesham fecit'; parts of brass to Nicholas? And family 1585; brass to Edmond West; marble wall tablets to members of the Seare family 1773, 1792 and 1807. RCHM II p. 193-5 (B6).
Buildings report dated May 1994 held at NMR (B13).
Photographic recording and watching brief carried out in April and May 2010 by AS&C during construction of a wc and kitchen in the west end of the south aisle and associated service trenching in the churchyard. Within the church an area 3.3m X 2.1m was hand excavated to a depth of 0.4m below the existing floor. A small void may have been the top of a burial vault. Immediately outside the south wall of the church part of a flint and stone wall footing and possible overlying floor layer was found during construction of an inspection chamber. See reports for detail (B15-16).