Church Of St Peter And St Paul

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a large medieval parish church, primarily dating from the late 13th century to the mid-14th century, with alterations in the 15th century and conservative restorations by Ewan Christian and Bodley and Garner in 1876-8 and 1880. The church is largely constructed of ashlar. It features a west tower and spire, a nave with aisles and clerestory, a south transept (the north transept was demolished in 1802), a transept aisle, and a chancel.

The west tower is a large, imposing late 13th-century structure of three stages, featuring a large two-light window to the bell chamber with banded shafts and chevron decoration. The broach spire has three tiers of lucarnes, the lowest tier ornately traceried. The south side of the church is largely mid-14th century, built in an Early Perpendicular style with embattled parapets throughout, and displays much fine carved detail. The buttressed south aisle has each buttress capped by a pinnacle, and a frieze of ball flower and other emblems, including human heads and beasts. Perpendicular style traceried windows are present. The frieze and parapet continue to the south porch, also of the same date, and include a triple-chamfered archway, a two-light window with ball flower hoodmoulds, and a cross on the gable above. Ironwork over the doorway is dated 1734.

Inside the porch, a double-chamfered arch leads to the main door, with a niche above. A stone platform, a relic of a former parvise, is situated across the angle above the door. The south side of the porch continues as a transept aisle and transept, with an ironstone and freestone wall. The transept aisle has decorative window detailing. The south window of the transept is large and in the Perpendicular style, with proportionately loftier corner pinnacles. The frieze over the transept includes figures, beasts, faces, and flowers, and a large, battered gargoyle is on the east wall. A Perpendicular clerestory has two windows in the east wall of the nave, accompanied by a carved frieze. The chancel, constructed of ironstone and ashlar, has a parapet and appears partially rebuilt, possibly in the later 14th century when the east window was inserted.

The interior is spacious and light, continuing the tradition of fine carving. The triple-chamfered tower arch has nail head decoration to the responds. The nave has four bays with an Early 14th-century arcade, triple-chamfered on octagonal piers. A Perpendicular clerestory and cambered roof with pierced spandrels are also present. The south transept and its aisle are Early 14th century, demonstrating a series of carved corbel heads and a 15th-century cambered trussed roof. A trefoiled recess for an altar reredos is visible in the south wall. The north transept arch survives. Chancel windows are mainly Perpendicular, though two are lancets. The east window contains stained glass by J.N. Comper, who also created the stained glass in the south transept window (1908). An incised slab in the transept depicts two praying figures and their children, John Dickenson and his wife, dated 1532. The font comprises a plain octagonal bowl on a low, square base with engaged shafts, dating to the 14th century.