Church of All Saints, Rayne (EHER 6515)

Parish church. Believed to be about 1510 west tower. Built for Sir William Capell. 19th century nave, chancel, choir, vestry, and south porch. About 1914 sanctuary and clergy vestry. Red brick. Red tiled roofs.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: All Saints' Church [NAT]. <1> Parish Church of All Saints, north-east of the village, was rebuilt in the 19th century, except the west tower, which is of late 15th or early 16th century date; the walls are of brick, with imitation dressing of cement. The tower is a good example of brickwork of the period. There is some blue brick diaper work in the tower. The west doorway seems to be original, the windows also. Features and fittings: indents in the chancel of a scroll; of a man in armour and a woman in a butterfly head-dress of about 1480, external niches next to the west window, of late 15th or early 16th century date; woodwork recently given to the church includes a bench with traceried panels, a cupboard with niche and figures, a carved panel over the doorway to the vestry, a priest's stall with panelled and carved back, all probably Flemish and late 15th and 16th century. A brass inscription plate in the chancel, on the south wall, dates to 1572. The plate includes a cup of 1550-1575 and a plain cover-paten. <2> The church has an unusually fine Tudor brick tower with blue brick diapering, a quatrefoil frieze at the foot, a blank stepped gable along the west window with a finial on the apex, a castellated frieze below the bell- openings and an embattled top with pinnacles and a curious stepped pinnacle as a roof to the stair-turret. The woodwork includes traceried panels of about 1500, said to be Flemish. "1840 and dull" except for the tower. Woodwork includes a later 16th century figure relief, said to be Flemish. <3> Church of All Saints. Parish Church. RCHM 1. The tower is said to date to about 1510, built for Sir William Capell. There is a replica of the early 16th century Capell helm in the tower. The church contains 14th century octagonal restored font, with covered panels, two carved angels believed to be from the old church, 15th century sedilia and aumbry; indents of about 1480; 15th century carved oak panel over entrance to clergy vestry; 14th century altar rail with carved panels. 19th century nave, chancel, choir, vestry, south porch. Sanctuary and clergy vestry of about 1914. 19th and 20th century windows. 17th century plain stone font. Reredos of about 1914 with 15 carved oak panels of the 17th century. Grade I. <4> The church is an uninteresting rebuild of 1840, with the exception of the red brick west tower of about 1500. This is a fine specimen of its type, designed with a clock setting in the west face, a spur hand is visible and if the original mechanism remains in the tower it is a horological survival of great importance. A print of 1818 shows the original church with a simple nave and chancel with a south porch, oddly the entrance was near the east end of the nave. A watercolour of the interior shows detailing suggestive of a Saxo-Norman date. The church was apparently included in a moated complex. The churchyard is, in parts, a little too neglected, with brambles causing considerable damage to the monuments, there are some good box tombs, but in poor condition. Repair of the monuments, without any clearance, is an urgent need. Archaeological potential uncertain, but probably high. Graded AIIb Rodwell. <5> Note: In fact, the clock does not survive. Site Management: The tombs may be repaired in the future, according to recent proposals by PCC. In July 1998, RCHME carried out a Level 1 survey of the environs of Rayne Hall in Essex. The church was not investigated in detail, although its relationship to the manor house should be noted. For further information, see RCHME Level 1 report. <6> In early January 1999, RCHME carried out additional survey of the environs of Rayne Hall at Level 3. This included a plan of the church and the ponds surrounding it at 1:1000 scale and analysis of the brick built west tower. The church was shown to be closely linked with the manor house. The cement dressing at the base of the brick tower conceals mouldings of similar form in the brickwork. The church and its history have been discussed in detail <7>. For further information, see RCHME report at Level 3 and plan at 1:1000 scale. <8> See also: <9> - <13>