Cuddesdon Parish Church Cuddesdon, England

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SP 6003 CUDDESDON AND DENTON CUDDESDON 6/3 Church of All Saints 18/07/63 GV I

Church. Mid-late C12, aisles C13, C15 chancel restored 1849 by B.Ferry, restoration of 1851-3 by G.E. Street. Limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; some old plain-tile roofs. Cruciform plan with central tower, the 3-bay nave having aisles to north and south and porches to south and west. 2-light side windows of chancel have pointed segmental-arched heads; 3-light east window is probably C19. Transepts are late-Romanesque, the north retaining its corbel-tables and angle-shafts; rebuilt south wall with C15 3-light window matching that in the north transept. Aisles originally C13 with surviving lancets to west, and east of the south porch, a triplet above which is a 2-light window of c.1300, formerly a gabled dormer but incorporated into C14 walling when the aisles were raised. 2-light window with reticulated tracery west of the porch and two 2-light windows with Geometrical Decorated tracery in north aisle. South porch is probably C14 and shelters a transitional doorway under a moulded outer arch with dogtooth ornament on detached shafts with carved capitals. C14 clerestory has 2 pointed-trefoil windows each side. West wall of nave is largely late-Romanesque with clasping angle-shafted buttresses and a sumptuous doorway having an outer arch of 2 orders- projecting under-cut lozenges and a row of dogtooth ornament - on detached shafts with primitive stiff-leaf capitals. The door retains its elaborate C12 crescent hinges. The deep semi-circular porch has an entrance arch of 2 chamfered orders on detached shafts with moulded capitals. The north-west stair turret to the 3-stage tower has angle-shalt to its top stage; elsewhere the tower has pairs of angle buttresses. The top stage with paired lancet openings was rebuilt in 1630. Interior: Chancel has 2-bay blind arcades over the side windows and an elaborately-coffered canted roof with carved bosses, probably C19. The transepts have blind semi-circular arches to east, the north incorporating a blocked Cl2 doorway and window; round the walls are stone benches, and the roofs have arched braces to coilars and curved wind- braces, possibly C15. The crossing has elaborate arches with much chevron, and compound piers with a variety of fluted and water-leaf capitals. The ribbed vault is by Street. C14 nave arcades and arch to south transept, but the shallow-pitched 5-bay nave roof is probably C17 and has square baluster king- posts. The west wall has the remains of C12 vaulting-shafts. The oak benches include much C17 panelling, some carved with lunettes but the chancel woodwork is entirely C19. The pulpit of 1896 is by C.E. Kempe. Much C19 stained glass: west window of 1852 by Hardman to Street's design; east window of c.1890 by Kempe and probably also several aisle windows; episcopal armorial panels in the chancel. Monuments include a wall-paque of 1620, 3 late-C18 memorials with classical surrounds and cartouches, and wall-tablets to several C19 bishops of Oxford. The C12 crescent hinges on the west door are good examples of the 40 or so surviving. The church belonged to Abingdon Abbey. (V.C.H. Oxfordshire, V; Buildings of England, Oxfordshire, pp.562-3; G.J. Hollister-short, Discovering Wrought Iron, 1970, p.12:

Listing NGR: SP6007803058