All Saints Church, Loughton

All Saints' Church is an ecumenical church located in Loughton, Milton Keynes, England.

A church of Great Loughton was recorded as early as 1219, The present building dates from the early years of the 13th century. There were originally two buildings in two separate parishes – Little and Greater Loughton.

The current church of consists of a chancel measuring internally 20 ft. by 13 ft., nave 40 ft. by 19 ft., continuous south chapel and aisle 36 ft. by 8 ft. 6 in., south porch, and west tower 11 ft. by 9 ft. It is built of rubble with stone dressings and is coated with cement. The chancel has a high-pitched roof covered with tiles, which stands conspicuously above the lead-covered roofs of the other parts of the church.

The chancel and nave probably date from the first years of the 13th century, though all the original details have been removed during subsequent alterations. The east window of the chancel, the blocked north doorway of the nave, and the lower part of the window immediately to the west of the latter are probably insertions of about 1250, altered later; but these are the earliest details which now remain. During the latter part of the 15th century the south chapel and aisle, the porch and the tower were added and the nave was reroofed. The fabric was restored about 1700 and again in 1851, while in 1886 the seating was renewed.

The chancel is lit only by its east window, which is of two pointed lights with a round reararch and probably dates from the 13th century, though its head was altered at a much later period. Near the west end of the north wall is a low-side window of one square-headed light, now blocked, and on the south, opening to the chapel, is a pointed arch supported by semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases. This arch is pierced in the north wall of the chapel, which, in order that it might directly abut the nave arcade, was built against but independently of the chancel wall, the western part of the latter being then entirely removed.

At the north-east of the nave is a late 15th-century three-light window with a four-centred head and modern tracery, and further west are the doorway and window mentioned above, the former being completely blocked. The window, which is a tall single light, appears to have been considerably heightened about 1700. Opposite to this on the south is another tall single-light window which has been similarly treated, but was originally of two lights and probably dates from a century later. The south doorway has a two-centred drop arch, and is of about 1400. Opening to the aisle at the south-east is a late 15th-century arcade of two pointed arches with an octagonal pillar and responds of the same details as the arch on the south side of the chancel. The pointed tower arch on the west, which is pierced through a wall of considerable thickness, is of four moulded orders supported by responds composed of three flat segmental shafts divided by fillets, these shafts having coarsely moulded capitals and plain bases. The chancel has a segmental plastered ceiling, and the nave a low-pitched open-timber roof of the late 15th century.

...
Wikipedia