Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

Parish church of Pre-Conquest origin, possibly dating to the 8th century, with the nave and parts of the chancel from this period. The chancel was remodelled and a south aisle built in the early 13th century. The west end was shortened in the later 13th century, probably after a fire in 1285. A tower and north chapel were added in the early 14th century. Benjamin Ferrey carried out alterations in 1849, including rebuilding of the south aisle and porch and the addition of a vestry. Further alterations were made in 1873.

The Pre-Conquest sections are built of squared stone with megalithic alternate quoins. The chancel and north chapel are of squared stone, whilst the tower is of coursed rubble. The 19th-century additions use tooled squared stone. The roofs are leaded over the nave and chancel, and Lakeland slate covers the south aisle, porch, and vestry.

The building comprises a nave with a west tower, a 4-bay south aisle with porch, a 2-bay north-east chapel, and a chancel with a south chapel and north vestry.

The squat tower features a chamfered set-back at mid-height on the north and west faces. The west wall contains a doorway with a chamfered arch and hood, and to its right a blocked upper door with a segmental relieving arch. The belfry openings consist of paired lancets except for a crude square-headed opening on the east. The parapet is embattled and sits upon a hollow-chamfered string.

The steeply-gabled porch has a trefoiled chamfered arch, stone benches, and built-in cross slabs and sculptural fragments. The doorway is chamfered with part of a moulded reconquest arch re-set above.

The south aisle, which continues eastwards as a chapel, has stepped buttresses and single and paired lancets. The end walls contain older masonry with 19th-century windows. The north wall of the nave displays two similar windows, a stepped buttress at the west end, traces of blocked openings, and at high level four early round-headed windows with monolithic lintels, the westernmost of which has been altered. The north chapel has a moulded plinth and parapet. Its north-facing walls contain two-light windows with Geometrical tracery under square heads, and show the springing of unfinished chamfered arches. The end walls have stepped buttresses and four-light windows of similar design.

The chancel is equipped with a chamfered plinth and sill band, and retains traces of a blocked south door. The south wall has three lancets and the east wall a triplet, all under hoodmoulds. Stepped clasping buttresses are positioned at the angles, with a low buttress beneath the centre of the eastern lancet. The north wall contains a lancet behind the vestry and, further west, a window of two trefoil-headed lights with a monolithic head that is a re-used cross slab. At the west end of this wall is a blocked early door with inclined jambs in the manner of Escomb, above which is a roof raggle indicating a former gabled porticus. The gables are coped with finial crosses.

The south arcade features pointed double-chamfered arches carried on tall round piers with moulded octagonal caps. The hoodmould has a crowned head as a stop above the central pier. A round-arched piscina is present in the chancel. The 19th-century details are in keeping with the medieval character. A low-side window of two square-headed lights now opens into the south chapel. A shouldered doorway to the vestry has been re-sited.

Within the tower, a late 13th-century doorway from the nave, with a tall hoodmould, now opens into the tower space. Remains of two buttresses and a lancet window from the late 13th-century west front are also visible.

The furnishings include a plain medieval font with a circular bowl on a moulded stem, and a 15th-century incised effigy of a knight situated beneath a trapdoor in the north chapel. Three elaborate Baroque candelabra are displayed in the chancel. The north chapel contains late 19th-century stained glass depicting a series of saints, all dedicated to members of the Wailes family and possibly executed by Wailes the glassmaker of Saltwell Park. Similar glass is present in the chancel.

The Pre-Conquest church was of unusual size, and partially-exposed footings suggest the existence of attendant porticus structures and other buildings. The incomplete arches to the north may have been intended to link the church with monastic buildings. Bishop Egbert of Lindisfarne was consecrated at Bywell, probably in this church, on 11 June 802.