Church Of St Peter

The Church of St Peter is a parish church with a west tower dating to the 12th century, a nave rebuilt in 1790 by H. Couchman, and subsequent additions and alterations throughout the 19th century. In 1854, Ewan Christian added a south aisle and porch, and in 1870, R. Jennings of Atherstone replaced Couchman’s apsidal sanctuary with a single-bay chancel. The church is constructed of ashlar, with the west tower built of coursed and squared freestone, and has plain tile roofs.

The west tower is of three stages, marked by horizontal strings, with pilaster buttresses on the north and south sides extending just below the second stage string. A corbel course of carved heads sits beneath a plain parapet. A tall, blocked archway in the west wall suggests the original design included a crossing tower. At the second stage, arcades with shafts and scalloped capitals are visible on the north, south, and west sides. Two-light windows with a central shaft are found on each side of the belfry, set within a round-headed recess.

Couchman’s nave and south aisle feature a pedimented east gable and three 19th-century pointed windows with Geometric tracery to the north, mirrored in the south windows of the south aisle (centre and east). A gabled porch with a double-chamfered pointed opening occupies the west bay of the south side, leading to a pointed door with a wave-moulded surround. A priest’s door is located at the east end of the aisle, and the east window is of three lights, also with decorated tracery. The chancel has single-light side windows with ogee heads and a three-light east window featuring Geometric tracery.

Inside, a four-bay arcade has double-chamfered arches on octagonal columns with moulded capitals. The tower arch is blocked but retains a round-headed profile. A pointed chancel arch separates the nave from the chancel. The nave has an 18th-century king-post roof with queen struts, while the aisle and chancel have 19th-century arch-braced collar roofs. Notable fixtures include a 19th-century octagonal font, 18th- and 19th-century bench pews, a hexagonal pulpit, choir stalls, a wooden eagle lectern, and a 19th-century stone and marble reredos. A tablet in the chancel commemorates the Reverend Samuel Chamber and his wife Catherine, who died in 1788 and 1792 respectively. A World War I memorial, featuring a central crucifix flanked by Sts. George and Michael and edged with grape vines, is present on the north side of the nave. Two good windows, dating from 1901 and 1902 and designed in the style of Kempe, are also notable features.