Church of St Peter

SD 70 SE 2/6

SWINTON & PENDLEBURY CHORLEY ROAD (south side) Church of St Peter

30/3/66

GV II* Church. 1869. By G.E Street for Rev. H.R Heywood. Rock-faced stone with slate roof. Nave, aisles, west tower and chancel with flanking side chapels and vestrys.

Gothic revival, five bay nave with projecting plinth and weathered buttresses. Each bay has a three-light window with Geometrical tracery and continuous sill band all below a blind arch. Aisles have pitched roofs; no clerestory. The chancel with its five-light east window is flanked by gabled side chapels with three-light windows. A double-gabled vestry with transverse roofs adjoins to north. The steeply pitched roofs have diamond patterns in green, blue and grey slates. The gables are coped and have cross finials.

Unbuttressed three-stage tower with corner octagonal stair turret which rises above the castellated parapet like a gableted pinnacle and has grotesque heads at the lower stage. Four-light west window below clock faces and two-light belfry openings which are flanked by blind recesses. Corner pinnacles.

Interior: double-chamfered nave arcade on clustered columns which have naturalistic capitals carved by Earp. Impressive rafter roof to nave; barrel roof to chancel. Two bay chancel separated from side chapels by elegant wrought-iron screens. Polychromatic inlaid masonry Gothic panelling to reredos and chancel which has Minton floor tiles and a sedilia and piscina.

Font and pulpit in stone with fleuron motif enrichment. Unusual cast-iron font cover. Timber pews, stalls, organ chamber etc. A stone at the base of the tower records the death of the architect in 1881. Stained glass by both Kempe and Morris and Co. The building is an accomplished piece of design by one of the leading Victorian architects. Whilst showing restraint in detailing, it expresses many of the ideals of high Victorian church design.

Listing NGR: SD7745501745