Listed Building record MDR2774 - Church of All Saints, Church Lane, Weston Underwood

Church of All Saints, Church Lane, Weston Underwood, originally an 11th century building. 'A church and a priest are recorded at Mugginton at the time of the Domesday Survey. The present church, which is dedicated to All Saints, consists of a nave, south aisle and porch, chancel and tower at the west end. The tower is, to a great extent, the same that was here in the Norman period, although it has been much altered and battlements added at later dates. The north bell-chamber window is of Norman design and so is the corbel-table below the present battlements. The original round-headed doorway in the west wall of the tower has been blocked by a massive buttress and 'a doorway of the worst possible taste' opened in the south wall. A window of corresponding style was at the same time inserted in the west wall of the south aisle, these alterations being apparently about 1750-1800. There is no other trace of Norman work. There is a doorway of c1250-1275, the south doorway and porch are of the beginning of the 14th century, and the south aisle was lengthened towards the east, so as to form a chancel chapel, in around the mid-15th century. There were further considerable alterations in c1485-1509. According to Cox, much 'mischief' was done when the church underwent a 'ruthless renovation' in 1845, at which time several monuments disappeared from within the church.' (1) 'All Saints Church at Mugginton has a Norman west tower which has been much altered. Elsewhere there is 13th and 14th century work, the south chancel chapel being Perpendicular.' (2) The church is recorded as being in normal use in July 1966. (3) The bells of All Saint's Church are of historical significance. Dated to c1500, the bells were made by the Mellours Foundary of Nottingham. (4) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 24 SE 2/102 PARISH OF WESTON UNDERWOOD, Mugginton CHURCH LANE (west side) Church of All Saints 13.02.67 GV I Parish Church. C11, C12, C13, C14, C15 and C18. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings. Lead roofs with moulded coped parapets. Plain tile roof to porch with coped gables. West tower, nave with south aisle and porch, chancel. Tower of three stages divided by a chamfered and a plain string course, the upper one to the north and part of west side is arched as a corbel table. South wall of tower rebuilt in ashlar, with an C18 round-arched doorway with stone lintel and glazed overlight. West elevation has a massive central buttress with nine set-offs. Lower bell stage to north has C12 paired bell openings with Gothic arches and polygonal shaft, embraced by a plain round arch on nook shafts, one missing. C12 roof line visible to east. Upper bell stage of ashlar with battlements. Two-light bell openings in each direction under flat heads. Cusped arched lights, renewed to south and west without cusping. Four gargoyles above. Nave and chancel have moulded string courses. The north side has, from the west, a blocked Perpendicular doorway with moulded surround and hoodmould, two three-light four-centred arched windows, deeply set, with concave surrounds. Cusped lights, hoodmoulds. To the left, a three-light window with plain arched lights under a square head. Coat of arms above breaking above the parapet. The chancel east wall has diagonal buttresses, a three-light Perpendicular east window similar to those on the north side and a carved stone with the Staffordshire Knot above. Carved stone to right with crest of the Sanders family. South side of chancel has one similar Perpendicular three-light window without cusping. The south aisle has five buttresses, it extends into the chancel and partly overlaps the south window. Gabled south porch, with plain chamfered opening, moulded imposts and hoodmould on head stops. Re-used inverted two-light window to east. South aisle has three three-light windows like those on the north side. Late C13 priest's door, re-set, with roll moulding and outer filletted roll moulding. Moulded capitals. Plank door. Perpendicular four-light east window with a transom and two tiers of pointed cusped lights. South aisle west wall rebuilt in ashlar in C18 with a plain round-arched window. Early C14 south doorway of two chamfered orders, the arch with a roll and hollow moulding. Panelled door. INTERIOR: round-arched C12 tower arch with keeled responds and double stepped arch. Above it a round-arched window with deep splay, probably the west window of the C11 church. South arcade of four plus two bays, octagonal piers, double chamfered arches, except for fourth pier which has a section of wall between responds. Chancel arcade has carved capitals with heads and foliage motifs. In the south east corner of the chancel a low four-centred arched entrance opening down into a void, perhaps a crypt. On the north side is a string course rising over a large aumbry recess. On the north side the respond of a double chamfered chancel arch, truncated and not relating to the south arcade. In the nave is a panelled dado made from C18 box pews. More box pews have been used for the ceiling under the tower. C18 box pews in the south aisle. C15 parclose screen in south aisle. C17 pews also in south aisle. Monuments: table tomb with brasses to Joanna Knifeton 1475. Wall tablet to Samuel Webster, died 1759, slate with a moulded stone surround. Wall tablet to Samuel Pole, died 1758, and on the north wall, a tablet to a person who died in 1687. C15 octagonal font with quatrefoil motifs, completely recut in C19. In the south west corner of the nave and on the underside of an arch in the chancel are traces of wall painting. Stained glass: In the east window of the south aisle are C15 shields. In the chancel south window are fragments of medieval glass. Good C15 roofs throughout with chamfered tie beams and purlins and foliate bosses. At the west end of the south aisle is a C17 bookcase and a board inscribed to Hugh Radcliffe. In the sanctuary are two C19 wrought iron and brass standard lamps. C19 brass communion rails. Listing NGR: SK2833142876.' (5)