Church Of St Peter

OADBY SP60 SW LONDON ROAD (south Side)

2/9 Church of St. Peter

GV II*

Parish Church. Largely C14, but extensively restored in 1887. Limestone, coursed and squared, with some ironstone rubble in south aisle. West tower and spire, nave with clerestory and two aisles, chancel. Tower is partially clasped by aisles. Three stages with clasping buttresses. Fragmentary carved panels in second stage, paired foiled bell chamber lights above. Frieze and a brooch spire with two tiers of lucarnes. Embattled parapet to south aisle which is of 1887. Window tracery uses a Decorated and reticulated style. Half timbered porch of 1908 containing a doorway apparently C14 so re-sited, with continuous moulding. Three light windows in embattled clerestory above. Chancel much renewed with Perpendicular and Decorated style south windows and a four light Perpendicular style east window. North aisle largely renewed, clasps the chancel slightly. It retains a C14 east window, four lights of reticulated tracery and a hood mould with ball flower decoration and corbel heads. Windows all in Decorated style, as is the north doorway, in a coped gabled stone porch. Inside, restoration was in the "scrape" tradition. Tower partially clasped by aisles with early C14 arch from nave: semi-octagonal responds and capitals. Former roof line visible above it. C15 arcades of f four bays with slender clustered shafts and complex moulded arches. Outer hood moulds with corbel heads. Three light foiled windows to clerestory. Perpendicular roof with shallow cambered tie beams with very short stumpy king posts carved as heads. Wide double chamfered chancel arch, the outer chamfer continuing to form a separate respond. Sedilia and piscina in the south aisle, with octagonal shafts supporting round cinquefoiled arches. Chancel roof possibly of the C15, cambered tie beams and king posts with fine tracery filling in the triangulation. Sedilia and piscina are either Victorian or else heavily restored, but similar in style to those of the south aisle. Ornate Victorian reredos with linen fold panelling, wrought decoration and angels. Victorian wood pulpit with sounding board suspended above. Font t probably C14, round basin with deeply moulded rim is supported on a base with trefoiled panels. Various C18 wall memorials in chancel and south aisle. Stained glass: in the south aisle east window of 1887, florid figures of love, truth, mercy and fortitude. South east. window of 1910, Christ with angels and seraphim, etc., and south west window of 1928 "suffer the little children" are both highly decorated and coloured, probably from the same studio. Glass in chancel east window is undated but of late C19 and very fine: faith, charity, love and hope are personified in the main panels with angels above and illustrative scenes below with appropriate text. The style is of the Renaissance, fluid design and a predominantly white architectural background.

Listing NGR: SK6237000384