Building record 0201800000 - ALL SAINTS CHURCH, SOULBURY

Dimensions - Width 0019 Length 0024 Height 0017 m
Plan Form - SUBRECTANGULAR
Grade II+. Parish church. C14 chancel and aisles added to earlier nave; aisles altered C15 and early C16; nave arcades, clerestorey and W. tower built early C16; C15 S. porch; much restored 1863 by G.E. Street. Greensand rubble with limestone dressings, tiled roof to chancel, lead roofs to remainder. Restored concrete parapets. W. tower of 3 stages has octagonal stair turret slightly projecting from S.W. corner, 3-light openings to bell-chamber and 4-light traceried window to W. 2-bay clerestory of 3-light windows with flat hoodmoulds. N. aisle has C14 windows with reticulated tracery in E. bays 2-light to E. and 3-light to N. other windows are early C16 each of 3-lights, 2 to N. flanking C14 moulded doorway Aisle is continued to NW end of tower, S. aisle has 2 bays of late C15-C16 3-light traceried windows and similar C14 doorway. S. porch has altered battlemented parapet, diagonal buttresses, double chamfered 2-centred arch, and pair of trefoil - headed lancets in each side wall. Chancel has much restored Decorated windows, 3- light in E. bay, 2-light to centre, 2-light lowside windows, small moulded No door, and large 3-light window to E. Interior: tower has tall wide arch to nave and smaller arch to N. aisle, both slightly 4-centred, on semi-octagonal piers with moulded caps. Nave has 2 bays of similar arches and restored C16 roof with moulded tie- beams, purlins and ridge, the tie beams on braces with small carved heraldic angels. Arch to rood-loft stairs in N.E. corner. C16 roofs to aisles. No aisle has restored piscina, S. aisle has cinquefoil piscina, 2 arched recesses in E. wall, and squint to chancel. Double chamfered chancel arch on short semi-octagonal piers with moulded caps and tall bases., Chancel has sill course, recess in N. wall with moulded ogee arch, much restoredtriple sedilia with trefoil arches and C19 roof. Fittings: C15 octagonal font with traceried panels, borders of old glass in windows, chest dated 1731, other fittings C19-C20. Monuments: (1) Robert Lovett and wife 1609 with kneeling figures infront of double arcade with flanking obelisks; (2) Eleanor Lovett d. 1786, with classical female figure reclining on urn over traceried inscription panels, of Coade stone and signed "Coade and Sealy"; (3) marble monument to Robert Lovett 1701, attributed to Grinling Gibbons, with urn on sarcophagus, relief of cherubs and clouds behind, crest with carved fruit swags, and flanking obelisks with eagle finials and weeping putti in front. (4) black marble obelisk to Verney Lovett 1771; (5) pedimented wall monument to Robert Lovett 1740; (6) grey marble obelisk to Jonathan Lovett 1770; (7) monument to John Sambee 1728; (8) other wall tablets to Lovett family. RCHMII p. 266-268 (B8).
STANDS ON EMINENCE. MASSIVE TOWER (B2). NGR (B5).
Presence of a flint and stone foundation pad apparently running under north wall, possibly footing for a stone built porch, identified during watching brief carried out by OAU in March 1999 (B9).
A watching brief carried out by OA in February 2003 revealed extensive 19th century made ground deposits to the west and southwest of the church. It is suggested that building debris resulting from the restoration of the chancel in 1863 and garden soil was used to level the natural slope (B10).