All Saints Church in Darfield - Part 1

The tower as seen from Vicar Road

Continuing with my exploration of Darfield, having visited the Maurice Dobson Museum and Heritage Centre on Vicar Road, I made my way up Church Street and could see the top of the tower of All Saints church poking up from behind the trees. 

Approaching All Saints church along Church Street

Its castellated parapet, finials, large blocks of ashlar and tracery composed of straight sided panels are all typical of the Perpendicular Gothic architectural style, which here is attributed to work that took place in the C15, according to the church guide and the Historic England listing. 

The approach to the west door of the tower

Like the churches that I had seen at Old Brampton and Eckington in Derbyshire earlier in the year, the tower seemed wide and, walking up to the west elevation of the tower, it soon becomes clear that its lowest two stages are built with irregularly coursed rubble walling, with quoins. 

A Norman slit window lighting the spiral staircase

Although the round headed slit windows, which light the spiral staircase and south and north elevations, are evidence of the Norman date that is assigned to it, the west door and the window above have been inserted at a later date. 

A view up the west elevation of the tower

When standing at the foot of the tower and looking upwards, the west door is not centred and, as at St. Helen’s church in Treeton and at St. Cuthbert’s church in Fishlake,  no attempt has been made to comply with the symmetry and proportions of the earlier structure.

A view of the west elvation of the tower

The west elevation of the tower is obscured by large trees but, moving around to the north elevation, it is possible to stand back and get a much better view of the variation in the masonry between the lower and upper sections.

The north elevation of the tower