The Church of All Saints at Somerby, Leicestershire, is a lovely building – but an odd one.
For a start the tower and spire stand between the nave and the chancel rather than at one end of the church as is more normal. Even more striking, the chancel is offset and stands at an angle to the nave. This may, in part be due, to the extensive rebuildings of this basically 13th century church which have taken place in 1714, 1763, 1865, 1883 and 1887.
The Central tower, is in 3 stages, with moulded sill band, 2 string courses, moulded eaves cornice with 4 gargoyles, crenellated parapet and 4 corner buttresses with setoffs. South face has a restored Decorated double lancet and above it, a stair light. Bell stage has on each face a C14 double lancet bell opening with hood mould.
The Nave has 3 bays, has coped west gable with central stack. West end has a Geometrical triple lancet with hood mould. Clerestory has on each side, 3 double lancets with 4 centred arched heads. All these windows are of 1865. Unbuttressed north aisle, 4 bays, has chamfered plinth. WEst end has a Decorated triple lancet with flat head. North side has to west a blocked cove moulded C14 doorway flanked to left by a Decorated triple lancet with cusped intersecting tracery, and to right by a Decorated double lancet with flat head. Beyond, to left, a reticulated triple lancet. All these windows are of 1865. All the openings have hood moulds and stops. North transept has moulded plinth and sill band and north gable with double gabled flanking buttresses. North gable has a Decorated triple lancet with hood mould and mask stops. East side has a roll moulded
doorway.
The chancel, of 2 bays, has sill band, moulded eaves and moulded parapet and gable with cross. North side has a C14 Decorated double lancet flanked to left by a chamfered round headed doorway and to right by a C13 chamfered low side lancet. East end has a Geometrical triple lancet. South side has 2 restored C14 Decorated double lancets flanked to west by a small low side double lancet with flat head. All the openings have hood moulds. Unbuttressed south aisle, 4 bays, has an off-centre porch flanked to west by a Decorated style double lancet with segmental pointed head, and to east by 2 similar double lancets.
All the roofs are of Victorian date, as are most of the stained glass windows.
