All Saints' Church, Risley Explained

All Saints’ Church, Risley
Coordinates:52.9167°N -1.3158°W
Location:Risley, Derbyshire
Country:England
Denomination:Church of England
Website:sdrchurches.org.uk
Dedication:All Saints
Heritage Designation:Grade II* listed
Parish:Ripley
Deanery:South East Derbyshire
Archdeaconry:Derby
Diocese:Diocese of Derby

All Saints’ Church, Risley is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Risley, Derbyshire.[1]

History

It is likely that the church sits on the site of the chapel of St Osyth or Scytha, which is mentioned in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1552 which records 1 bell in the steeple, 1 hand bell, 1 old vestment and 1 surples.[2]

The current church dates from 1593 and was built as a domestic chapel to Risley Hall by Michael Willoughby. The south doorway contains the Willoughby arms, the date of 1593 and the initials W M K.

Originally served by the nearby parish of Wilne, the church was endowed by Elizabeth Gray in 1719 and an additional amount from Queen Anne's Bounty established the incumbent as a Perpetual Curate of Risley and Breaston.[2]

The church was enlarged with the addition of the north aisle and vestry and the rest was repaired by subscription and a small grant from the Derby Diocesan Church Building Society at a cost of £545 in 1841 . The work was carried out to the designs of the architect Henry Isaac Stevens. [3]

The church was restored in 1897 and a new vestry and heating chamber was added. The chancel was refitted and the old seats were replaced by oak benches. A carved oak altar replaced the old deal one. An organ chamber was added and a new organ obtained. The roof internally was panelled with varnished pine, and the chancel walls and roof was decorated. The external walls and roof were repaired and the drainage was improved. A flagstaff was added to the tower. The work costing £2,000 was defrayed by Ernest T. Hooley.[4]

Organ

The church contains an 2 manual and pedal 13-stop pipe organ by Brindley & Foster of 1897. It was restored by Henry Groves.& Son in 2005. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Bells

The church has 8 bells equipped with an Ellacombe apparatus for chiming. The oldest bells are of 1627 and 1628 by George Oldfield. The remainder are either 1960 or 1964 by John Taylor and Co of Loughborough.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Pevsner . Nikolaus . Harwell . Clive . Williamson . Elizabeth . 2016 . The Buildings of England, Derbyshire . Yale University Press . 573 . 9780300215595.
  2. Book: Cox, John Charles . 1879 . Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire. The hundred of Morleston and Litchurch . Palmer and Edmunds . 409 .
  3. News: . Risley church . Nottingham and Newark Mercury . England . 8 October 1841 . 1 April 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  4. News: . The renovation of Risley church . Derby Mercury . England . 27 October 1897 . 1 April 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  5. Web site: Risley, Derbyshire, All Saints . . 1 August 1982 . . Dovemaster . 1 April 2024 .