History

It is believed that the present site of All Saints was probably first occupied by a wooden Saxon Church, the original Foots Cray Church having the exact dimensions of a Saxon Church.

The present Church, perpendicular in style, dates from about 1330. The Lord of the Manor at that time was Sir Simon de Vaughan, who was buried with his wife about 1350 in an altar tomb. The remains of their effigy, originally under the arch which divides the Lady Chapel from the nave of the Church, are now under a low Tudor brick arch in the Chapel.

The font is Norman, dating from the late 12th century.

The Church was extensively altered in 1863. Old box pews with doors were removed, as were two galleries. The nave was extended westwards with the bell tower, previously at the west end of the Church, left standing on four oak posts. As a result, the bells are now rung from the centre of the aisle. The west door case and porch, dating from about 1500, and the door to the Church, dating from the 1650s, were all reset at the end of the longer nave.

In 1872 the Church was lengthened eastwards into the chancel and the reredos was added. The present organ was presented by Sir John Pender, the founder of Cable and Wireless. He is buried in the Churchyard, where there is an imposing memorial to him.

A remaining panel from the rood screen, which would originally have separated the chancel from the nave, has been incorporated into the front of the prayer desk. A part of the rood loft stair remains in the small turret which now leads to the pulpit through a depressed Tudor arch. This arch has a Jacobean gate dated 1638 and was probably a gate from the original communion rails put to a different use. The alabaster pulpit was erected in 1886 and was presented by the Harenc family of Foots Cray Place.

The majority of the stained glass windows are Victorian, although the one in the west wall of the Lady Chapel is much older and the two windows on the south side of the nave at the east end are 14th century work.

Altar pieces of the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer with pictures of Moses and Aaron, painted in 1709, are now on the walls of the nave

The Church spire, re-shingled in 2004, was built by funds from Lord Waring to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. The carved choir stalls and chancel screen also date from 1901.

In the Churchyard is an iron grave slab commemorating 'Martin Manning, Yeoman' dating from 1656. Also to be noted is the Mass dial on the south side of the outside of the Church.