Church Of St Peter

ASTON BY SUTTON C.P. ASTON LANE SJ 57 NE South West Side 3/27 Church of St. Peter, 8/1/1970 GV I Church, chancel circa 1695, nave finished 1736, both on ground plan as in 1635, of red sandstone ashlar; roofs of small grey slates, that to nave graded. Nave with west cupola belfry and north and south porches; chancel. 4-bay nave has porches on 2nd bay from west and round-arched windows in architraves with moulded cills, capitals and keystones. Moulded plinth; plain pilasters facing north and south at corners carry plain frieze touching window keystones; moulded cornice; parapet with projecting panel at each corner and at centre of north and south sides, and raised (with consoles) over south porch to contain sundial surmounted by winged angel. Nailed oak boarded doors in round-arched porches with coped gables, 1736 inscribed on north porch gable. Bell cupola projects from west end, with circular window to choir gallery, clock in upper stage and consoles bearing octagonal belfy with stone cupola. Chancel has plain rectangular plinth and rusticated quoins; cornice and parapet; blank north face contains nailed boarded oak door in Roman Doric pedimented case; south side has 3 round-arched windows with reeded arrises to reveals and no imposts or keystones. Circular east window has niche to each side with raised panel below and recessed panel above. Interior. Choir gallery (organ installed 1906) with stair (2 turned balusters per step on each side, moulded rails and robust curtails) and panelled soffits. Oak pews with panelled backs and panelled doors on H hinges; oak pulpit of C17 character. Deep segmental chancel arch with archivolts on imposts and panelled intrados. Oak dado of C17 character to sides and east end of chancel. Chancel rail of oak with turned balusters; C17 altar table, vigorously expressed, with deep ovolo faces and shaped diagonally-set legs. Light moulded plaster ceiling with oval-ended central panel. Fine set of tablets in chancel to Aston family, 1635-1839, notably Thomas (died 1635), Magdalen (died 1635), Sir Willoughby Aston 1641-1702, Dame Rebecca 1737, Sir Thomas Aston (by Nost) and his brother John erected by their heir 1697. In the nave a good plaque to Thomas Hibbert, steward to Sir Willoughby Aston, and C19 tablets. A most pleasing late C17/early C18 church, inside and out, damaged by bombs during the 2nd World War and subsequently carefully restored and reglazed. Raymond Richards Old Cheshire churches: Pevsner and Hubbard The Buildings of England; Cheshire

Listing NGR: SJ5557878464