Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul

Parish church, originally medieval with 12th to 15th-century fabric. Restored in 1870 by Ewan Christian. Destroyed by fire in 1901 and rebuilt in 1901-02 by Hodgson Fowler. Constructed in dressed stone, ashlar, snecked stone, and coursed rubble with graduated slate and lead roofs and ashlar dressings.

The church comprises a west tower and tower chamber, nave, north and south aisles, chancel, vestry, south chancel chapel, and south porch.

The west tower has four stages dating to the mid 14th and 15th centuries. It features a deep moulded and chamfered plinth, three string courses, eaves band, eight gargoyles, crenellated parapet, and twelve crocketed pinnacles. To the west are two corner buttresses with three setoffs and an intermediate buttress with a single setoff. To the east are two buttresses engaged with the aisles, each with three setoffs. The first stage contains a four-centred arched door to the south and above it a trefoil-headed lancet. To the west is a cusped-head double lancet with Decorated tracery, splayed mullions, and chamfered and rebated reveal, with two stair lights and a trefoil-headed lancet above. The north side has a similar single lancet. The second stage has 14th-century cusped-head double lancets on each side. The third stage has a clock face to the west and north. The fourth stage contains a 15th-century transomed triple lancet bell opening with panel tracery on each side.

The nave clerestory has three 19th-century cusped-head triple lancets in square coved and rebated reveals on each side.

The north aisle and vestry comprise six bays with chamfered plinth and two corner and five intermediate buttresses, each with two setoffs and moulded plinths. Rainwater heads are dated 1871. The west end has a quatrefoil-headed double lancet. The north side displays to the east two 13th-century double lancets with quatrefoil heads and to the west two 14th-century cusped-head double lancets. Further west is a restored 12th-century round-headed doorway with chamfered imposts and hood mould. The east end has a double lancet with quatrefoil head to the left and a 19th-century door with hood mould to the right.

The south aisle incorporates the south porch across four bays, with chamfered plinth, corner buttresses to east and west, and intermediate buttress with two setoffs. Rainwater heads are dated 1871. The east end has a string course and a 14th-century style triple lancet with chamfered and rebated reveal, with a half-round-headed opening over the chancel south window to its right. The south side displays a double Decorated lancet with cusped heads and chamfered and rebated opening to the west, and two 14th-century style triple lancets with cusped heads to the east. The west end has a quatrefoil-headed double lancet.

The chancel comprises two bays and has a coped gable with cross. The east end has a pair of corner buttresses and a single buttress, each with two setoffs. The east window is a re-set quintuple lancet in 15th-century style with ogee reticulated tracery, filleted mullions, and hood mould. The south side contains to the west a restored early 15th-century triple lancet with cusped ogee heads and filleted mullions, and to the east a 14th-century style triple lancet with cusped heads, reticulated tracery, chamfered and rebated reveal, and hood mould.

The south porch has two small buttresses, a moulded pointed arched doorway with hood mould, and a coped gable with gabled kneelers and cross.

Interior

The principal rafter roof has ashlar pieces and collars. The restored 12th-century south doorway features a head with roll, keel, and cove mouldings, hood mould, and coved square imposts, with two pairs of colonettes—the larger outer pair with restored round bases and simple stiff-leaf capitals.

The tower arch dates to the 13th century and is triple chamfered and rebated, with octagonal responds with octagonal caps. The tower chamber has a blocked shouldered doorway to the west and a window with stained glass dating to 1902, a replica of that of 1873 by Clayton and Bell.

The nave north arcade is a replica of that of around 1200 with round piers and a pseudo-pier to the east with moulded square bases, two round responds (that to the west dating to the 14th century), plain and crocketed capitals, and two round and single 14th-century arches, chamfered and rebated, with hood moulds and mask stops.

The south arcade is in 14th-century style, comprising three bays with two octagonal piers and pseudo-pier, half-octagon responds, moulded octagonal bases and capitals, and double chamfered and rebated arches.

The principal rafter roof has struts and curved braces from corbels to tie beams, arch braces to principals, cusped wind braces, and foliate bosses. The north aisle has a lean-to roof with curved brackets from corbels. The north-west window contains stained glass of 1901-02 by Newberry. The south aisle is similar to the north aisle, with its east end forming the south chancel chapel. The east window and central south window contain 20th-century stained glass.

The chancel has to the north a 13th-century arch to the north aisle containing an eight-panelled traceried screen. To its right is a round-headed doorway with hood mould and a four-centred arched doorway. The east end has a moulded sill band, traceried panelled reredos, and stained glass of 1925 by Kempe & Co. The south side has a priest's door and two stained glass windows, one a replica by Drake of around 1901. The panelled vaulted timber roof has moulded arch braces on corbels and foliate bosses.

The vestry contains to the south a chamfered and rebated lancet with hood mould, dating to around 1300.

The south chancel Foljambe chapel is a single bay with an eight-panel traceried timber screen in 13th-century style. The east end has stained glass by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, reproducing that of 1875. The south side has a restored 14th-century cusped-head piscina.

Fittings include a 20th-century traceried panelled chancel screen of five bays with crenellated transom, a plain tub font with chamfered rim on a 20th-century chamfered round base and stem, a traceried panelled pulpit on stone base, a brass eagle lectern, moulded panelled oak benches, and traceried panelled choir stalls and clergy desks.

Monuments include a mutilated effigy with Lombardic inscription to Olivia de Montbegon, dating to around 1236. A Baroque-style wall monument to Dame Frances Earle, dating to around 1687, comprises a moulded rectangular ashlar base with brass inscription, a life-size standing female figure draped in Roman style, flanked by Corinthian columns carrying entablature and segmental pediment. A large slate wall monument, damaged by fire, with foliate brackets, cherub, and remains of scrolled pediment containing two scrolls in low relief, commemorates Arabella Hewett (died 1787) and is signed 'John Platt Rotherham Ft.1790'. Additional monuments include a Roll of Honour and two crosses of 1914-18, brasses of around 1875, 1897, and two 20th-century brasses, and a war memorial brass of 1914-19.