Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul

A Grade I parish church in coursed limestone rubble with stone coped lead roofs, built and rebuilt over several centuries from the 13th to the 20th century. The building was substantially altered in 1756, with further work in 1855 and the 20th century.

The church comprises a western tower, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, chancel, and north chapel.

The three-stage unbuttressed western tower was rebuilt in 1756. It has a plinth, two plain bands, and an embattled parapet. The south side has a single light with round-headed window. The west door is planked with a panelled head in a plain semi-circular surround with key and impost blocks; on the left-hand jamb is the inscription "FG 1756". To the first floor is an oculus with raised keystones. The belfry stages have semi-circular headed belfry lights with key and impost blocks. Between the west wall of the north aisle and tower is a buttress.

To the west end of the north aisle is a recut 13th-century lancet. The north wall has a moulded plinth and a blocked 13th-century doorway with hood mould and human head label stops. There are two 15th-century large three-light windows set in deep concave chamfered reveals with cusped panel tracery to heads and hood moulds. Further east is a third smaller 15th-century two-light window. The clerestorey is blank on the north side. In the east wall of the north chapel is a 16th-century chamfered surround with moulded hood mould, now containing three 20th-century leaded lights. To the left of this window is a section of a chevron moulded voussoir. The chancel of one bay has been shortened; the springing of a 13th-century arch can be seen. The 20th-century east window has three lights. In the south wall is a small 15th-century plain priest's door with chamfered reveal retaining an early wooden door. The south side of the aisle has two 15th-century windows matching the north side. The clerestorey has a single 20th-century window.

The 14th-century south porch has projecting stepped buttresses to either side of the deeply moulded entry arch, which has a hood mould with human head label stops (that on the left being a 20th-century replacement). Above the arch is a shield of arms charged with three rams and a chevron; over this is a nodding ogee niche containing a pietà, surmounted by a 14th-century castellated finial base with a 19th-century cross fleury. The coped gables have pinnacle bases to the ends. The porch has side benches and paired trefoil-headed lights with lozenges over in triangular openings to each side. The south doorway retains its original 14th-century planked door and iron closing ring. The doorway is deeply set and heavily moulded with one concave order, a hood mould, and one surviving human head label stop.

Interior

The late 13th-century three-bay north and south arcades have octagonal piers, capitals, responds, and double chamfered arches. The west door is round-headed, splayed on the inner face, and possibly earlier than the 18th-century tower. The chancel arch matches the aisle arcades. The nave roof is a 16th-century tie beam with staggered butt purlins. The north aisle roof is similar; the south aisle has a restored contemporary roof. A fine 18th-century panelled wooden western gallery stands on three wooden antae with a stair featuring turned newels and square balusters on the left-hand side.

To the east end of the north aisle is a blank 14th-century recess with moulded cambered arch head with stop-chamfer and hood mould, perhaps an Easter Sepulchre. To the left is a statue bracket, beneath which is a small doorway with concave moulded surround and cambered head. In the chancel north wall is a further late 13th-century double chamfered archway, opening into the vestry (formerly the north chapel), and beyond to the east is the springing of a further bay. One corbel for the rood beam survives on the north side.

Fittings

The nave contains a complete set of 18th-century box pews with panelled doors and book rests. The altar rails are 17th-century sturdy turned oak balusters. In the nave is a 17th-century oak reader's chair with carved back panel. In the sanctuary is a fine mid-19th-century Gothic chair with angel-headed arms. In the south aisle is an important early 14th-century coffer with carved front and stiles having intersecting arcades, rosettes, and daggers. The splendid pulpit of circa 1918 has openwork carving and symbols of the Evangelists. The font is a circular bowl on a circular pedestal with stiff leaf decoration to the underside of the bowl, inscribed "about 1260 and 1916". In the north aisle the most easterly window has fine early 20th-century stained glass in memory of Montague Cholmeley, killed 1914, of Norton Place.

Monuments

Beneath the gallery stairs is a late 13th-century recumbent effigy of a lady with flowing robes, close-buttoned cuffs, and mantled head on a cushion. In the north aisle is a small inscribed brass plate to Ann Tourney, died 1641. In the floor of the vestry is a 16th-century brass to a lady, defaced.