Church Of St Peter And St Paul

A parish church standing on Burgh le Marsh High Street, built around 1500 with significant additions in 1702 and the late 18th century, and restored around 1871. The building is constructed of limestone ashlar, greenstone rubble and some red brick, with lead and slate roofs topped by stone coped gables and an eastern gable cross finial.

The four-stage ashlar west tower dominates the composition, featuring a richly moulded plinth and multi-staged angle buttresses. The west entrance comprises a pointed doorway with richly moulded continuous bowtell surround and hood mould, fitted with 19th century traceried doors. Above this sits a large pointed window with four pointed cusped lights and panel tracery, with hood mould running into string courses at each side. A small projecting gargoyle stands to the right. Above the window is an ornate niche containing a crocketed and finialled ogee canopy with a small 20th century statue. A moulded string course runs across, with another pointed window above featuring two ogee-headed cusped lights, mouchettes, bowtell-moulded surround and hood mould. The north side of the tower displays a clock set in an ornate painted surround. The tall bell chamber contains openings on all four sides, each with paired pointed openings featuring bowtell surrounds, two pointed lights divided by transoms, panel tracery and hood moulds. A finial rises between the bell openings to moulded eaves adorned with small sculptural motifs, projecting corner gargoyles, quatrefoil frieze and battlements with small finials.

The north aisle is constructed of greenstone patched with 18th century brick. At the west end stands a flattened pointed window with bowtell surround and three pointed lights. The north side proper features a moulded string course below a rectangular window with three cusped ogee lights, roundels with panel tracery and hood mould. A gabled porch to the left has 18th century buttresses and a pointed plain doorway with panelled doors. Inside are flanking benches and a doorway with pointed head, continuous moulded surround and 18th century recessed panelled doors with ornate interior hinges. A broken string course to the left of the porch contains two 19th century windows, each with flattened pointed head, three pointed cusped lights, panel tracery and hood mould. To the left is a rectangular window with three semi-circular headed lights and three plain ogee heads rising above, topped with hood mould.

The clerestory features drainheads dated 1762, with four pairs of windows plus a single window to the east—all pointed with three lights. The central window has a cusped rectangular head; those flanking are pointed. Moulded eaves and battlements run along the top. The east gable end of the nave displays a squat gargoyle supporting a central finial, crocketed frieze and corner pinnacles. A 19th century organ chamber reuses 16th century fabric. The 16th century north window of the organ chamber has a semi-circular head with three semi-circular headed lights, cusped reticulated tracery and broken hood mould.

The east side of the aisle is plain. The 19th century chancel has a shallow chamfered plinth and moulded sill band. A triangular-headed north window contains two ogee-headed cusped lights. A rainwater head is dated 1871. The east end features a large pointed window with three cusped lights—semi-circular heads flanking a central ogee head—with 19th century panel-type tracery and hood mould. The south side has a central doorway with continuous moulded surround, semi-circular head and panelled door, with three windows above: two two-light windows flanking a central three-light window, all with triangular heads, cusped ogee lights and hood moulds.

The east end of the 16th century south aisle has a plinth and a window with flattened triangular head, continuous moulded surround, three semi-circular headed lights, panel tracery somewhat askew, and sill band. The south side contains three similar windows, though 19th century replacements, all with hood moulds and 16th century head label stops.

A gabled porch dated 1702 stands to the left of the south aisle. It features greenstone return walls containing a shallow pointed light to the east and a red brick south front with a blocked semi-circular headed doorway flanked by moulded brick imposts, with moulded string courses and a Dutch gable above. The gable includes a sundial and a plaque inscribed "WD HB CWA NO 1702". A masking wall to the left conceals a fuel tank. Beyond stands a 19th century rectangular window with three cusped ogee-headed lights, panel tracery containing roundels and hood mould.

The west end of the south aisle has a pointed window (restored in the 19th century) with two semi-circular cusped lights, complex Y tracery above, hood mould and head label stops. The clerestory on the south side has five pairs of pointed windows of identical design to those on the north. Rainwater heads are dated 1727 and 1726, the former including winged cherubs.

The interior is dominated by a very tall tower arch with pointed, double-chamfered head and polygonal responds on high plinths with moulded capitals. A 19th century screen incorporating some 16th century fabric stands beneath. Five-bay north and south arcades feature a single lower, smaller east bay on each side. All have pointed, double bowtell-moulded heads, octagonal piers and polygonal responds. The central bay spandrels of the south arcade contain small fragments of fresco. A doorway in the west end provides access to a blocked staircase that originally led to the upper sections of the tower. The south doorway has a chamfered segmental head.

The east end of the south aisle contains a small aumbry and 19th century screens in 17th century style, featuring fluted columns, fretwork bands and pendant finials. The chancel arch has a 16th century double-chamfered pointed head, with 19th century polygonal responds and screen topped with highly painted 20th century figures. A 19th century north organ chamber has a pointed, double-chamfered head and polygonal responds. A 19th century roof covers the chancel, while a 16th century tie beam roof with straight braces and small rectangular plaques spans the nave.

The pulpit, inscribed "1623 John Hovlden" on the book rest, is flanked by naked male figures wearing ruffs and Ionic capital headdresses. It stands on a slender coved stalk and features an ornate hexagonal form accessed by four shallow steps, with back panel and hexagonal sounding board. The whole is highly ornate, decorated with fluted Ionic columns, blind arches with foliate motifs, fretwork bands, leering masks, coat of arms and pendant finials.

A 19th century octagonal font is accompanied by an ornate octagonal font cover from around 1623, featuring openwork with paired fluted columns, semi-circular headed archways, foliate and fretwork ornament. Four sides to the west are hinged and open for baptisms, with obelisks above and an eagle with (possibly) an inkhorn and sandbox in its beak.

Additional furnishings include a large wooden eagle lectern of 1874 by Jabez Good, a local barber and signpainter; a 19th century alabaster life-size statue of St. Peter; a copy of Correggio's Virgin and Child by G. R. Gentina; an 18th century chest; a broken drum font and 19th century stoup by the north door. Paintings of St. Peter and St. Paul and a hatchment are displayed inside the tower.

Monuments include one to Charlotte and Mary Cooke, died 1812, in white and grey marble; a brass plaque to Leonard Palma, died 1610; a white marble monument with pediment and torches to the Reverend William Barnes, died 1838; two white marble monuments with urns and palms on black marble fields to the William Cookes, died 1831 and 1844, both by E. Gaffin; and a white and grey monument to John Fuler, died 1804.