Church Of St. Peter

ELWICK HALL CHURCH BANK NZ 43 SE (off west side), Elwick 3/10 Village

16.11.67 Church of St. Peter

-- II*

Church, late C12 nave, restored mid/late C17 and 1895 re-roofed; mid C17 chancel incorporates earlier masonry, re-roofed 1887; lower stage of tower 1813, upper stage 1860; late C19 vestry. Random limestone rubble to nave and tower, dressed gritstone to chancel; Westmorland slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel with north vestry, and south-west tower over porch. 3-stage tower has string courses between stages, round-headed south doorway and embattled parapet. One glazed and traces of 2 blocked lancets to south aisle. Pointed, chamfered, south-west doorway has hoodmould and human mask stop to left. 2 mid C17 mullioned windows with labels to south wall of chancel, and blocked, chamfered doorway between them. All other windows in nave and chancel are mid C19. C12 4-bay arcades, that to north of 2 chamfered orders springing from moulded octagonal capitals on short circular piers and bases with square plinths; ½-round responds have waterleaf capitals c.1200 at east end, re-cut at west end. South arcade is similar but piers are taller and capitals are circular (octagonal to west pier) and plain. Nave roof has cusped struts and principals forming centre quatrefoils and side semi-quatrefoils; through-purlins have curved windbraces. Anglo Saxon sculptured stones built into east wall of nave. Stained glass: north-east window of north aisle, by A.K. Nicholson (London) c.1916; east window of south aisle, by W.E. Tower. Remains of sculptured Crucifixion attached to base of west pier of north aisle. In chancel, 2 sets of carved bench ends (8 in all) of c.1665 (Bishop Cosin was Rector of Elwick). Number of late Georgian memorial tablets on north and south walls of chancel. Pre-Reformation mensa of Frosterly marble, on late C19 rendered supports. 2 late C17 bells in tower. V.C.H., Durham, Vol. III, 1928, pp. 240-241.

Listing NGR: NZ4534632080