Church Of St Peter

SK 80 SW BELTON IN RUTLAND CHURCH STREET(north side)

3/8 Church of St. Peter

10.11.55

GV II*

Medieval parish, church, externally largely of C14, resotred in C19. West tower, nave with clerestory and S. aisle, chancel. West ower is ashlar, and of 3 stages with embattled parapet above a quatrefoil frieze. Tall traceried lights to bell chamber. Decorated west window with hoodmould, West bay of S. aisle is a C16 reconstruction in ashlar, but a fragment of the original masonry abuts the tower. S. porch of C.14, ashlar, with parapet and huge gargoyles. Sundial over the archway, and within a C14. S. doorway with corbel heads and finely moulded shaft and arch. Aisle is of coursed squared rubble with renewed Decorated windows with stilted arches. Chancel has priests door on S. side, with square headed hoodmould that is a continuation of the string course. East window of 4-lights, in decorated style, though a Victorian restoration. N. Wall of nave has a single C13 lancet but all other windows are Victorian restorations in Decorated style. The masonry here is banded rubble.

Inside, nave of 4 bays, and an early C13 arcade, with double chamfered round arches on low octagonal shafts, with plain capitals; 2 have large grotesque corbel heads carrying the outer chamfer.Easternmost respond has stiff leaf. Victorian roof and clerestory lights. Tower arch of banded black and white nasonry. Blocked N. door. Victorian chancel screen, and heavily restored chancel with good glass of 1898, and an incised stone slab depicting a man, his wife and their children, 1559. 2 alabaster shields in wall above. Ornately painted and gilded organ.

Various C18 wall monuments in nave and aisle, and in particular, a large memorial to Rowland Roberts and his wife, d. 1762, with inscriptions contained beneath a scrolly broken pediment and sheild of arms. Font is C13: round bowl on round stem, formerly with shafts. The bowl has incised arches decorated with dogtooth carving.

Listing NGR: SK8163101353