Church Of St Peter

The Church of St Peter is a small parish church with origins in the 12th century, although it was significantly altered in the 13th century with the addition of a west tower, and again around 1579 with the construction of a south aisle and a north aisle and chancel. A restoration in 1888 appears to have had little impact on the interior. The church is built of coursed squared rubble.

The west tower comprises three stages, featuring a two-light plate traceried opening to the bell chamber with pierced wood shuttering and foliate capitals to the shafts. Lancet windows are present in the second stage, topped by an embattled parapet with corbelled-out details. The south aisle is buttressed, with restored square-headed windows from the 19th century. The south porch has a plinth and a round-headed archway beneath a coped gable. The south doorway incorporates a 12th-century outer arch with a twisted rope hoodmould and a double zigzag arch. The inner arch is pointed, formerly round, and is supported by slight shafts with roll-moulded arches. The chancel is of ashlar, elevated above the nave, with square-headed windows made up of round-arched lights. The north aisle and chancel aisle also feature ashlar construction, with steep coped gables and a two-light window in the west wall with a squared hoodmould.

Internally, the north arcade comprises three bays, displaying Norman features with double chamfered arches resting on circular shafts with volute capitals and square abaci with chamfered corners. A pointed early English arch with a triple chamfer and two slender shafts leads to the tower. The north aisle is as wide as the nave, it contains a blocked round-arched doorway with ornate door furniture, including scorpion-like hinges. The chancel arch and two-bay arcade between the chancel and the north chapel are of Elizabethan design, consisting of moulded round arches on chamfered square shafts. The chancel roof is a 19th-century wagon roof with good timbering.

The church contains predominantly Elizabethan furnishings and fittings. The chancel features box pews with square panels and a frieze, adorned with ornate snake-like hinges; above the frieze is an openwork band with turned balusters. A south-side pew has been converted into a small vestry, with the openwork filled in with fretted woodwork. Wall panelling in the south wall displays a scroll-like, ornate arabesque-style frieze. Altar rails with turned balusters, along with the altar table, chancel screen, and screen between the chancel and north chapel, are panelled with a widely spaced balustrade above. Within the nave are a lectern, a pulpit with a sounding board, box pews, and wall panelling with a frieze and ball finials.

The north chapel houses a large memorial to Charles, son of Andrew Noel, who died in 1619 at the age of 28. The memorial includes an alabaster recumbent effigy in a flat aedicule featuring blank columns capped by obelisks above a cornice adorned with a lozenge, foliate decoration, and a coat of arms. The figure is in armour and lies upon a woven pallet. Tablets bearing epitaphs are positioned behind and below the figure. The monument is painted in red, green, gold, and black. A font, dating to the 12th century, is a square basin on a square base, arcaded, and topped with a pyramidal wood cover.