All Saints, Annesley, was deserted in 1874 when a new church was erected. The nave dates from c.1200 AD and the S aisle must have been erected within c.50 years of that date as it contains an EE sedilia. It was partly reconstructed as a Lady Chapel in 1370. Med glass from the chapel is preserved in Holme church. The tower is C14 and the chancel C15. There are gaping holes in the roof, the nave arcades are leaning badly and the horsebox pews rotting. The tower is in a dangerous condition, the floors have almost gone and the sandstone masonry is perishing. (5)
The condition of this former church is accurately described by (5). Extensive damage has been done in mining subsidence and by vandalism; the owner, Col Musters of Annesley Park, intends to demolish the more dangerous parts of the ruin in the near future. The S porch has been partly demolished. (6)
C14 Felley Chapel contains a fine sedilia, and once had a fine five-light E window, unfortunately now demolished … there are at least 3 phases of blocking and window openings in the N wall and the tower. Against the W wall is a plaster moulding dated 1686, traces of painting on N wall. (7)
As would be expected further damage has taken place, and much of the roof is now missing. (8)
The church was allowed to decay miserably. It is not a picturesque ruin, though it could be - just an utterly neglected derelict building. Fortunately most of the remaining pieces have been salvaged and placed in the C19 church, but its best feature has been wantonly destroyed. It was the splendid 5 light ogee-reticulated E window of the S aisle or Felley Chapel, founded in 1363. The sedilia still remain, earlier than the window, with E. E. shafts and pointed trefoil heads … impossible after 1300. (9)
The roofless remains have been consolidated and the walls capped under a Manpower Services Commission scheme. The C17 plaster moulding described in (7) has deteriorated badly from exposure to the elements. The W tower is now fenced off from the public. (10)
Subject of a 1978 survey by the TVARC. (11)
The earliest surviving fabric is C13 with major C14 and C15 additions and alterations. The church is in the middle of a walled graveyard on a steep rise adjacent to Annesley Hall. To the south of the church are slight earthworks indicating the site of the original village which was moved in 1661 following the enclosures carried out by Sir Patrick Chaworth. The present church consists of a west tower, nave, south aisle with porch and a chancel. The parapet of the tower has fallen, and the floors and bell frames are…about to collapse. The roof of the church has been removed and the south aisle arcade has collapsed as has the tracery of the east window in the aisle. Architectural development: C12: the presence of a C12 church is indicated by a font of that date which is now in the new church at Annesley. Nothing remains structurally of this period. C13: the church consisted of a nave and probably a chancel at this time. A blocked door and windows in the nave probably belong to this phase. C14: Early in this century a south aisle was added to the nave and an arcade built between the two; the east respond is the only part still standing. The rebuilding of the chancel arch at this time may indicate that the rest of the chancel was remodelled. The S. aisle was demolished c.1363 at the expense of William de Wakebridge and Robert de Annesley, who replaced it with a chantry chapel which was dedicated to Our Lady on 25Jan 1373. The columns of the nave arcade may have been replaced at this time as the late C14 piers are later than the arches they supported. C15: The chancel was rebuilt but subsequent additions have removed all detail except one blocked door. Later in the C15 a tower was added at the west end, the nave and chancel were heightened and the windows and door of the chancel replaced. C16/C17: Three windows were inserted into he north side of the nave, one of which covered the C13 north door. On the S. side of the chantry chapel a small porch was built on. C19: A small fireplace was built against the south side of the chancel arch. In 1874 the church was abandoned when a new church was built in the village. (12)
See M2562 for deserted village, M2563 for castle, M2564 for park, M5289 for new church.

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

Drawings, HBR

Data Held: Ground Photograph (Ground photograph). SNT2646.

17 colour print, JJ4A-12A, SMR

Data Held: Ground Photograph (Ground photograph). SNT2646.

59 BW print, GG0A-14A,16A-21A, HH1-38, SMR

Data Held: Ground Photograph (Ground photograph). SNT2646.

13 colour print, 1995 (negs E45/5,6, E46/1,2), SMR

Listed buildings slides, 24 slides (Photograph). SNT2648.

--/12/80, Old Church (Plan). SNT3680.

<0> Thoroton Society, 1947, TTS, pp 54-7 (Published document). SNT362.

<0> Thoroton Society, 1976, TTS, p 83 (Published document). SNT389.

Trent Valley Arch. Research Commtt, 1978, All Saints Church - plans and phases (Plan). SNT4349.

RCN, 1978, All Saints Church - preservation scheme (Plan). SNT4348.

Palmer M & Neaverson P, 1992, Industrial Landscapes of the East Midlands (Monograph). SNT5.

Hutton and Rostron Environmental Investigations Ltd, 2008, All Saint’s Church, Annesley, Site Note 1 for Condition Report (Unpublished document). SNT5065.

<1> Associated Archit Socs, 1873-4, Reports, pp 165-6 (Published document). SNT423.

<2> Thoroton Society, 1912, TTS, pp 1- (Published document). SNT338.

<3> Cox JC, 1912, Churches of Notts, pp 22- (Published document). SNT589.

<4> Thoroton Society, 1942, TTS, p 66 (Published document). SNT359.

<5> Peverel Archaeology Group, 1952, Ann Rept 4, p 21 (Published document). SNT1122.

<6> Woodhouse WC, 1959, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1437.

<7> DOE, AM7 - undated, no author (Unpublished document). SNT52.

<8> Seaman BH, 1974, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1252.

<9> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 55 (Monograph). SNT4.

<10> Dodd A, 1988, AM107 (Unpublished document). SNT620.

<11> Trent Valley Arch. Research Commtt, Undated, All Saint's Annesley (Unpublished document). SNT4871.

<12> Denny Plowman, 1978, The Ruined and Redundant Churches of Nottinghamshire - A Survey (Unpublished document). SNT5716.