Casterton is located 3mi NW of Stamford and the Great North Road passes through nearby. All Saints is a small parish church consisting of a two-bay nave with side aisles, chancel, south porch and a classic Rutland bellcote tucked away in a quiet, idyllic spot away from the village centre and near the River Gwash. While the south porch dates from 1837 and the clerestory is around the 14^th/early 15^th c., most of the rest of the church is of the 13^th c., including the bellcote and some interior wall paintings near the W lancet window and on the S wall of the S aisle. The Romanesque elements here include the N doorway and N arcade of the nave, a tympanum, a possible coffin fragment reset in the N aisle, and an exterior figure of an imp on the NW buttress.

Though neither Little Casterton nor Great Casterton are mentioned as distinct villages in 1086, DB does list Casterton in two entries. One entry is for land belonging to the king and the other for land belonging to David. Under both entries a priest is noted among the residents. The sculptural remains in the church demonstrate its existence here in the 12th century and the name Little Casterton – Parva Castreton – appears in the 13^th century.

N arcade

Pier 1 in the N arcade has leaves at the corners which seem to have tips which furl up so likely they were meant to be a more pronounced waterleaf type. The underlying form of the W respond capital is exactly like that of pier 1, however its ornateness with the clear waterleaf at the corners and the linear designs on the faces of the leaves suggest that the capital of pier 1 may in fact be unfinished. The similarity of the N arcade (particularly the bases) to the S side which is solidly EE may suggest that the N arcade was built late in the Romanesque period.

Reset Tympanum

A somewhat similar wheel, or rosette, with seven spokes can also be seen in the reset tympanum at St. Mary and St. Andrew in nearby Ridlington. Although Pevsner does not mention the reset cross fragment, the VCH dates its to the 12^th century. The slight incline of this fragment with its angle ridge suggests it may originally have been part of a sloping coffin lid.

Imp

The imp-like figure is unique in the county and raises a number of questions as to its original context and meaning. Being carved within a hollow chamfer could suggest that the figure was originally part of the decorative scheme of a doorway with multiple orders and meant to be seen vertically in the hollows between orders. Given that the N aisle was rebuilt in 1810-1811 and its exterior was refaced with ashlar, it may be that the figure was discovered during this renovation work and reset in its present location, similar to the discovery and resetting of the 12^th c. tympanum. If this is an imp, it shares some striking characteristics with its famous relative in the neighbouring county – the 13^th c. imp of Lincoln Cathedral located on the N wall of the Angel Choir. Both have crossed legs, articulated fingers and wide, open mouths. The survival of the delicate fingers is interesting to note in terms of what we do not see elsewhere - that is detailed delineation of any other part of the body. The legs, arms and shoulders are all simply defined as smooth, interconnecting surfaces. This rudimentary, stylistic approach to the figure and the wear of the stone suggest this fine imp may date from the 12^th century church here. Though neither Pevsner nor the VCH mention this little imp, Lionel Wall does include it on his website and also speculates about its possible 12^th century origin.