Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

This is a parish church of exceptional architectural interest, spanning from the 13th century through to the early 20th century, with a major new south aisle added in 1910–12 for Reverend Charles Bailey. The building comprises a west tower, north aisle, nave, chancel, and south aisle.

The West Tower

The tower rises in two stages and is constructed of ashlar, partly rendered and pebbledashed. It features two string courses, a moulded crenellated parapet with four crocketed pinnacles, and is buttressed to the west with two diagonal buttresses and two setoffs plus plinth. The south face carries a single chamfered rectangular light. A chamfered 14th-century doorway with close-boarded door occupies the western face; above it sits a 14th-century splayed and chamfered opening with coved hood mould, containing a restored 16th-century triple lancet with panel tracery. To the right are two rectangular and one trefoil light serving the stair. The north face is blocked by a round-headed Norman doorway. The second stage displays four 14th-century coved and splayed openings with coved hood moulds, each containing cusped-head double lancet louvred bell openings with panel tracery. The tower arch at its base is 13th-century work with double chamfered and rebated haskeeled responds with octagonal caps. Above stands a 20th-century oak screen with an elliptical central arch, carved spandrels, and balustered panels to either side; above this rises a parapet with turned balusters to the ringing chamber.

The North Aisle

Dating to the 15th century and 1720, the north aisle extends four bays and has a plinth, moulded string course, moulded eaves band and parapet. Pairs of angle buttresses flank the east end; a single diagonal buttress serves the west, with two setoffs and three intermediate buttresses also featuring two setoffs. The west window is early 20th-century work, a segmental-headed opening with coved hood mould containing a triple lancet with cusped heads and Decorated tracery. On the north side, to the west, stands an elaborate moulded doorcase of late 17th-century date with keystone and scrolled brackets supporting the hood; it contains a close-boarded north door. To the east are three square-headed, cove-moulded openings—the central one with four 16th-century round-headed lancets with chamfered mullions, and the outer openings each with three. The east end features a square-headed chamfered opening containing a 16th-century round-headed triple lancet. Above this window sits a datestone inscribed "RF.SH 1720". The north aisle and north aisle chapel interiors are rendered with splayed window openings and a splayed opening to the north door. The east window of the north side contains stained glass from 1926. The roof is 20th-century work incorporating some 15th-century timber, with straight struts to principal rafters, and moulded rafters and purlins. The north arcade, which serves the nave, dates to the 14th century and comprises a double chamfered and rebated arch with keeled responds with chamfered square bases and octagonal capitals. Attached to its north side is another arch of 13th-century date, also double chamfered and rebated with octagonal imposts.

The Nave

The nave comprises three bays. Its north side features a moulded parapet, while its south side is rendered with a moulded eaves band and parapet. Three 15th-century square-headed chamfered and splayed openings occupy the south wall, each containing ogee-headed cusped double lancets. A coped gable with a cross marks its eastern end. The nave's 13th-century north arcade contains three bays with round piers featuring water-holding bases on chamfered square plinths and plain octagonal capitals. The keeled responds bear octagonal caps. The arches are double chamfered and rebated with plain hood moulds. The south arcade belongs to the 1910–12 campaign and comprises three bays with octagonal piers bearing moulded octagonal bases and capitals, with half-pier responds. Its arches are double chamfered and rebated with coved hood moulds. The nave roof is 19th-century work with a low pitch, incorporating some earlier timber. Curved brackets spring from corbels to tie beams; the principal timbers are moulded. Four carved bosses, including one mask, adorn the roof. A 20th-century octagonal font stands on an earlier chamfered octagonal plinth with traceried panels. A 20th-century timber pulpit with panelling is accompanied by a painted wooden eagle lectern and 20th-century chairs. Five classical-style memorial tablets of 1805, 1811, 1818, 1826, and 1834 line the walls to the west; two further tablets date to circa 1900 and 1962. The nave also contains 20th-century chairs and three resited 19th-century pews with shaped ends.

The Chancel

A 13th-century chancel arch with double chamfered and rebated mouldings and octagonal imposts with mask stops opens into the chancel. A screen dating to circa 1912 in Perpendicular style features seven bays with a central opening framed by carved spandrels. The chancel itself contains a single bay with a north arcade of 14th-century date, featuring a double chamfered and rebated arch with keeled responds bearing chamfered square bases and octagonal capitals. Its east window has a splayed square-headed opening with roll moulding and coved mullions. In the south-east corner stands a 13th-century pillar piscina decorated with stiff-leaf ornament. The south windows feature square-headed splayed openings with chamfered mullions; the westernmost contains 19th-century stained glass. The roof is 20th-century work with moulded purlins. The chancel furnishings include 20th-century benches and choir stalls.

The South Aisle

Built in 1910–12, the south aisle extends four bays and is constructed of irregularly coursed ashlar with five buttresses featuring two setoffs. The westernmost bay is blank. To the east stands a roll-moulded pointed arched doorway with roll-moulded hood containing a close-boarded door. Two further square-headed coved and rebated openings follow, each with cusped-head triple lancets bearing coved mullions. A further coved and rebated square-headed opening to the west carries a coved and chamfered hood mould and contains a double ogee-headed lancet with coved mullions. The south aisle interior is rendered. Its east window displays a splayed opening with 1920 stained glass and a war memorial plaque dated 1945. The south wall windows feature segmental-headed cove-moulded and splayed openings. The south door has a chamfered and splayed opening, surrounded by a panelled timber screen. To the west, a moulded pointed arched doorway provides access to the vestry.

General Construction

The building employs ashlar, partly rendered and pebbledashed, with some irregularly coursed sections and some coursed squared rubble, throughout, with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. The east window of the chancel, dating to the 19th century, contains a cusped ogee-head triple lancet with panel tracery in a coved and moulded opening of 15th-century style.