Weight: 1037 lbs Diameter: 37" Bell 1 of 4
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1842
Dove Bell ID: 5051 Tower ID: 15771 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Offord Cluny: All Saints
Diocese of Ely
Church, 614222
https://allsaintsoffordcluny.wordpress.com/This church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (verified 2024-11-14)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
Overview
Grid reference: TL 218 670
The south arcade seems to be the oldest existing part of the church, dating from the thirteenth-century and closely followed by the north arcade later in the same century; the aisles may be of the same dates as their arcades, but the details of the north aisle are fifteenth century, and those of the south aisle late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. The west tower is early fifteenth-century also, with a south-west turret rebuilt in 1687. It formerly was surmounted by a spire until 1851, of timber covered with lead. This had to be dismantled. The clerestory was added in the early sixteenth-century. The chancel was rebuilt in brick in 1726 and restored in 1927; the south porch is dated 1851. The church was restored in 1851 and 1860.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower, three-bay nave with north and south aisles and south porch; chancel. There is no vestry.
Footprint of Church buildings: 240 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The south arcade seems to be the oldest existing part of the church, dating from the thirteenth-century and closely followed by the north arcade later in the same century; the aisles may be of the same dates as their arcades, but the details of the north aisle are fifteenth century, and those of the south aisle late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. The west tower is early fifteenth-century also, with a south-west turret rebuilt in 1687. It formerly was surmounted by a spire until 1851, of timber covered with lead. This had to be dismantled. The clerestory was added in the early sixteenth-century. The chancel was rebuilt in brick in 1726 and restored in 1927; the south porch is dated 1851. The church was restored in 1851 and 1860.
Exterior Description
The first part to be seen is the chancel which is a late rebuilding and, although dated on a stone tablet over the east window 1726, has stone copings to the gable and surrounds to the windows which could only date from c.1850. The walls are red brick and the roof is of red tiles, neither of which falls in easily with the overall brown and grey of the rest of the church.
Passing further west, the south flank of the church may be seen. The nave is of three bays, and both it and the aisle have low-pitched lead roofs and parapets with continuous mouldings and no battlements. The or wide three-light windows in the aisle, with four-centred heads and cinquefoiled lights, are placed in a rhythm different to that of the narrower windows (also of three lights) in the clerestory at the corners and in two places along the aisle wall are big gargoyles, and the angles are supported by diagonal buttresses. The west and east windows are of the same pattern as the two south windows. Between the latter is a porch rebuilt in 1851.
The west tower is a familiar landmark to travellers on the add railway nearby, and forms a welcome contrast with the spire of Offord Darcy a little to the south. It is of three stages above a moulded plinth with stringcourses which are not related to the floor levels within. The lower stage has a small doorway with moulded jambs and a two- centred arch within rectangular hoodmould enclosing trefoiled spandrels.
The north aisle is longer than the south, slightly overlapping the chancel at the east end. It is earlier than the south aisle, and has narrow two-light windows with cinquefoiled lights and segmental heads, two in the north wall, and one in the east wall. The north doorway has a two-centred head with chamfered jambs and a moulded label. The roof has no parapet but overshoots the wallhead, and the bays are divided by small buttresses.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
The widows in the nave have many small pieces of coloured glass in them; particularly attractive are those in the east window of the north and south aisles with engraved florets cut through to the clear glass background.
Interior
Interior Description
The different dates of the arcades are immediately evident since the north aisle has circular piers and the south has later octagonal piers. The north arcade, has arches with two orders of hollow chamfers but the south is much plainer, standing awkwardly over the capitals as though an inner chamfered order had been removed. The moulded capitals of the north arcade are notably more refined than the hard lines of those on the south.
The tower arch has two chamfered orders to the arch which die into the splayed responds and a third inner order which is carried on attached half-round shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The chancel arch, on the otherhand, is much earlier, and seems contemporary with the north arcade with two hollow-chamfered orders round the arch springing from attached semi-octagonal shafts at each side with moulded capitals and plain bases.
Many of the windows have small fragments of coloured glass, mostly red and blue either arranged round the borders or in separate quarries; these seem to date from 1851. All the roofs have been renewed using the old principals; the low-pitched nave roof is of three bays with moulded tie-beams with curved braces; all the other members are also moulded. The wall-posts stand on plain oak corbels and at the feet of the intermediate principals are carved figures of angels.
The chancel is rather dark with a roof of pine boarding dating from 1851 with cusped arches under the main rafters which are reminiscent of a country railway station; the small windows are all filled with stained glass, that in the east window depicting the symbols of the Evangelists.
Fixtures and fittings
Rail
1752
Elegant eighteenth-century work with turned columns as uprights and square sections separating the balusters below; it is odd that the gate is narrower than the solid uprights which flank it. The rails were erected in 1752.
Pulpit
The pulpit is Jacobean, of oak, with a hexagonal plan and two tiers of arcaded panels with arched heads carved with guilloche and conventional foliage ornament; each panel has an applied diamond in the centre and the cornice is decorated with egg-and-dart. The lower rail and the pedestal are modern.
Stall
The priest's stall is made up of Jacobean panels and moulded framing.
Font (object)
1853
The present font is a small nineteenth-century design.
Font (object)
Medieval font sitting outside the church.
Table
In the north aiele, a Jacobean communion table of oak, with heavy turned legs, moulied toprails with shaped brackets and plain lower rails.
Bells
Diameter: 29" Bell 2 of 4
Founded by James Keene 1630
Dove Bell ID: 33741 Tower ID: 15771 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Diameter: 30.5" Bell 3 of 4
Founded by James Keene 1630
Dove Bell ID: 33742 Tower ID: 15771 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Diameter: 34" Bell 4 of 4
Founded by James Keene 1630
Dove Bell ID: 33743 Tower ID: 15771 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: TL 218 670
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Quinquennial Inspections
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.