Parish Church Of St Peter

The parish church of St Peter dates to the 14th century, with elements from around 1500, and incorporates remains from before the Norman Conquest, alongside 19th-century alterations. It was restored and a north aisle was added in 1864. Constructed of sandstone rubble with a stone slate roof, the church comprises a nave with north and south aisles under a continuous roof, a west bellcote, and a south porch. A lower chancel is flanked by north and south aisles, both with pitched roofs. The west wall features two buttresses with offsets, between which is a blocked round-headed doorway from the pre-Conquest church. Above the doorway is a 2-light window with reticulated tracery under a pointed head. The C17 bellcote contains two bells. A small, chamfered window with an ogee head lights the aisle. The C19 north aisle has a 2-light window with a foiled circle within a pointed head, with similar windows lighting the chancel and nave aisles. The chancel aisle wall steps forward, with a taller, separately-roofed vestry abutting it; a low boiler house is built against the vestry wall, incorporating a chimney. The C17 south porch has a pitched roof and a segmental-arched doorway, with a chamfered, pointed inner doorway. Two mullioned windows of two lights light the nave aisle, the left-hand window with segmental heads and the right-hand one with trefoiled heads. The chancel aisle wall contains a window of two segmental lights, with a round-headed C17 doorway to the left. A 2-light C19 window with a pointed head and reticulated tracery is situated to the right, beyond a straight joint indicating an addition. Similar windows are found in the east walls of the south and north aisles. The east chancel window, dating to around 1300, is of three lights with intersecting tracery. Internally, the walls are of exposed rubble. The two-bay nave arcades have chamfered pointed arches springing from octagonal piers and caps; the north arcade dates from 1864. An open timber roof is of a similar date. The chamfered segmental chancel arch is a C17 rebuilding with cable-moulded imposts. The south chancel window, now opening into the south chapel, is C14 and of two lights with reticulated tracery. Various coffin lids, including the gravestone of a C17 vicar built into the east wall of the chancel, are incorporated into the walls. The chancel screen has traceried heads to the openings and contains C15 woodwork, but was moved to its present position and restored in the 19th century. A pre-Conquest hogback tombstone, with carved bears and richly decorated sides depicting Norse mythology and Christian symbolism, is located in the south chancel aisle; it was moved from the churchyard in 1961. The octagonal sandstone font is probably C16 and has an openwork font cover with an ogee top. While restored in the 19th century, the turned balusters appear to be C17.