Church Of St Peter

Church of St. Peter

A parish church of multiple periods, primarily 12th to 15th century, with 19th-century restoration. Built in ashlar, snecked stone, coursed rubble, and coursed squared rubble, with brick and slate and slab roofs. The building comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, south aisle, and south porch, all with chamfered plinths, crenellated parapets, and coped east gables with crosses.

The west tower dates to the early 14th century and features a string course, eaves band, single gargoyles to north and south, and a parapet. A pair of corner buttresses to the west have three setoffs; that to the south bears a 19th-century memorial brass. The restored 14th-century west window is a double lancet with cusped hexagonal head, splayed reveal, and hood mould. The second stage contains four late 14th-century double lancet bell openings with moulded reveals, ogee hood moulds, and crocketed finials.

The nave, dating to the 14th century, has three bays with a string course and three buttresses to the north, each with three setoffs. Three 14th-century triple lancets with cusped heads, hood moulds, and mask stops have been restored.

The 14th-century chancel comprises two bays with moulded eaves. The east end has two pairs of corner buttresses with two setoffs. The north side displays two 14th-century style double lancets with cusped heads (restored), while the east end has a 14th-century Decorated triple lancet with chamfered reveal. The south side contains an off-centre priest's door and, to the west, a 14th-century double lancet in a cove moulded reveal; to the east is a 14th-century style double lancet with cusped head.

The south aisle, three bays, has three buttresses with three setoffs each. The east end has a 15th-century triple lancet with four-centred arched head (restored). The south side has two 14th-century double lancets in splayed reveals (restored), and the west end has a similar window to the east.

The 14th-century south porch features a deep moulded plinth and string course, parapet, and four crocketed pinnacles. Its moulded south doorway has moulded imposts and hood mould. Above is a crenellated gable. The interior contains stone benches and a vaulted roof with chamfered ribs and half-octagon imposts. The inner doorway dates to the 12th century, is restored, and shows a chamfered reveal, moulded hood with dogtooth and a zigzag band of stylised leaves with foliate stops. A 19th-century traceried panelled door has replaced an earlier example.

The tower arch is 13th-century, double chamfered and rebated, dying into the wall. The late 12th-century nave south arcade has three bays with two round piers: that to the east has a stiff leaf capital, that to the west has a moulded capital and water-holding base. Chamfered and rebated round arches feature 19th-century stiff leaf imposts. The north side includes stained glass windows from 1886, 1884, and the 19th century. A 19th-century hammer beam roof with curved braces sits on mask and foliate corbels from the 14th and 19th centuries.

The 19th-century chancel arch is in 13th-century style, double chamfered and rebated, with foliate imposts. The chancel east end displays a panelled oak reredos of 1928 with cresting and inscription. The east window contains stained glass by Kempe, dated 1877. The south side has a 13th-century piscina with pointed trefoil head to the east. A 19th-century hammer beam roof features curved braces on foliate corbels.

The south aisle contains, to the east, a chamfered square aumbry and a reset foliate corbel. The east window has stained glass by Ward and Hughes, dated 1891. The south side has a 19th-century pointed arched piscina to the east and a window with stained glass dating to circa 1861. A 19th-century lean-to roof rests on foliate corbels.

Fittings include a re-tooled 14th-century font with a traceried panelled octagonal stem and octagonal bowl with foliate panels. A 19th-century octagonal traceried panelled ashlar pulpit has brass and iron handrails. A 19th-century carved timber eagle lectern stands nearby. Deal pews with doors and fleur-de-lys finials are present throughout, along with a large carved clergy desk with finials and turned and pierced oak choir stalls.

Monuments include three early 14th-century effigies of a man, woman, and child. Marble memorial tablets date to 1775 and circa 1856. A large slate memorial dates to 1817, a memorial tile to 1808, and a brass and slate memorial to 1893. Brasses date to 1898 and two to the 20th century. A Roll of Honour from 1919 is also present.