Discover Ordsall

For a trip to Ordsall, its architectural history offers a specific theme to explore. The buildings differ in function, period and design: the rood screen at All Hallows dates from around 1430, Ordsall House from around 1820, St Alban was built in three phases, and the war memorial on All Hallows Street represents another type of structure. You can explore Ordsall through individual architectural forms as well as their place in time.

Architecture through specific features

The rood screen at All Hallows dates from around 1430 and features fluting and a fan vault. Fluting refers to long, parallel grooves; in a fan vault, the vaulting ribs spread out like a fan. The two terms describe distinct design elements: a patterned surface and the shape of the vault. This makes it possible to identify the rood screen both by its approximate date and by its architectural features.

Ordsall House is a former rectory dating from around 1820 and is a Grade II listed building. Its east façade is three bays wide, with plain pilaster strips and a centrally positioned entrance. The porch is supported by Doric columns. Three bays means that the façade is divided into three vertical sections; pilaster strips are flat, column-like features on a wall. The three-bay layout and pilaster strips describe the vertical arrangement, while the entrance and porch mark the central section. Ordsall House thus combines its former use as a rectory with a clearly defined façade.

Building phases and memorials

St Alban in the parish of Ordsall was built in three phases: 1902–1903, 1912–1913 and 1930–1931. Each stated phase covers two consecutive calendar years; the three periods represent a staged building history. This timeline can be read differently from a single approximate construction date. The particular architectural interest here lies in the building stages themselves: the church is shaped by three periods, not by a single building phase.

Ordsall’s war memorial is located on All Hallows Street. It is freestanding and a Grade II listed structure. As a war memorial, it differs in function from both the former rectory and the churches. Its freestanding form provides a different architectural point of comparison from the façade arrangement of Ordsall House or the building phases of St Alban. The memorial can therefore also be included in the architectural comparison without equating it with a residential or church building.

When comparing the dates, you should distinguish what each one refers to. Around 1430 indicates the rood screen’s approximate date of origin; around 1820 dates Ordsall House; the three periods for St Alban, by contrast, refer to individual building phases. An approximate date and a sequence of building stages answer different questions. This distinction helps you not only put the buildings in chronological order, but also see whether a date refers to a building component, a building or several construction stages.

Check visiting hours in advance

All Hallows is listed as open to visitors on Wednesdays from 10 am to 4 pm. Check whether a visit is possible before making a special trip.

Discover more destinations: West Stockwith, Edwalton, Whatton, Kimberley, Trowell, Winthorpe, Carlton, Clipstone.

For the broader travel overview: Nottinghamshire.