Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

Parish church of the 12th to 15th centuries, restored in 1874–75 by John Oldrid Scott. The building is constructed in ashlar, dressed stone, snecked stone and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, roofed in lead, graduated slate and plain tile.

The plan comprises a west tower, nave with north and south aisles, south porch, chancel with north and south chapels, and a vestry.

The west tower is in two stages with a plinth, string course, and eaves band decorated with masks and eight gargoyles. It has a crenellated parapet with eight crocketed pinnacles. The west side displays a restored late 14th-century triple lancet with panel tracery and hood mould with mask stops, above which is a small lancet and a clock to the south. The second stage contains four 15th-century double lancet bell openings with cusped quatrefoil heads, moulded reveals and coved hood moulds.

The nave has a clerestorey with a moulded eaves band and coped gable with a cross. On each side are three late 14th-century double lancets with cusped ogee heads and Decorated tracery in square-headed reveals with remains of a sill band.

The north aisle consists of two bays of 15th-century date, with coursed rubble foundation, deep moulded plinth, chamfered eaves and coped gable. It is buttressed by a single corner and single diagonal buttress with two set-offs. The west end has a triple lancet with a four-centred arched head and splayed reveal. The north side features, to the east, a cusped-head triple lancet with square-headed chamfered reveal and, to the west, a chamfered doorway with four-centred arched head.

The south aisle comprises three bays, restored in the 19th century, with a chamfered plinth, plain eaves and a coped gable. It is buttressed by a pair of corner buttresses to the west and two intermediate buttresses, all with single set-offs. The south side has three restored 13th-century triple lancets with intersecting tracery, and the west end has a similar 19th-century window with roll-moulded mullions and reveal and hood mould.

The south porch is a 19th-century timber-framed structure with a chamfered plinth. The entrance has a cambered lintel and single unglazed flanking lights. Above is a sundial and pierced bargeboards. A low-pitched principal-rafter roof covers the space. The south door is 12th-century with a chamfered and rebated reveal and hood mould with beast-mask stops.

The chancel is a single bay with a chamfered plinth and eaves, string course and coped gable with a cross. It is buttressed to the north east by a single buttress and to the south east by a pair of corner buttresses, all gabled and with two set-offs. The east end has a single 19th-century triple lancet with cusped trefoil heads and an intrusive wheel motif, hood mould and mask stops. The south side has a single 19th-century triple lancet with intersecting tracery, roll-moulded mullions and reveal, and hood mould with mask stops.

The north aisle chapel spans three bays with a moulded plinth, chamfered eaves and an octagonal chimney on the north east corner. It is buttressed by a single diagonal and three intermediate buttresses with two set-offs. The north side displays three 14th-century triple lancets with cusped ogee heads and chamfered and rebated square-headed reveals. The east end has to the right a similar window and to the left a 14th-century style moulded doorway with hood mould.

The south chancel chapel is of 13th-century date with a chamfered plinth and pair of corner buttresses to the east, one tile-hung and one with a coped gable. To the east is a 13th-century triple lancet with intersecting tracery and hood mould, with a similar window to the south, both restored.

Interior features include a 12th-century north arcade of two bays with chamfered and cove-moulded cruciform piers with cruciform bases and five masks in place of capitals. The arches are double-chamfered and rebated with moulded imposts and single masks set above the peaks. The south arcade is 13th-century with two bays and similar piers with approximate stiff-leaf capitals. The arches are cove and roll-moulded with moulded intrados and two octagonal responds with plain capitals. The east end shows traces of a former gable. Bands of blind arcading run along the tops of the walls. A very low-pitched panelled ceiling features two bands of quatrefoil panels.

The 14th-century tower arch has run-out cove and roll moulding. The tower chamber contains a stained-glass west window by Kempe of 1891.

The north aisle has a stained-glass east window of 1896. The roof is 15th-century with crenellated wall plate, moulded timbers and a single re-set corbel.

The south aisle has four stained-glass windows: two of 1876, one undated and one of 1897. Two are by Kempe. The roof and wall plate match those of the north aisle.

The north aisle chapel has a 13th-century chamfered and rebated arch to the west and a 19th-century timber screen to the east forming a vestry. The east end has a 19th-century corner fireplace and to the south a square aumbry with an 18th-century door and hinges. The westernmost window contains stained glass of 1896 and the east window has stained glass of 1905. A 19th-century king-post roof with curved braces covers the space.

The 13th-century chancel arch has cove and roll moulding with octagonal responds and moulded capitals. A canopied crested timber screen with a cross, eight bays, is 19th-century with earlier fragments. The chancel extends three bays with, to the north, two chamfered and rebated arches with a central pseudo-pier and moulded responds with mask corbels to the east. Fresco decoration dates to around 1903, and remains of a string course survive. The east end has a square aumbry. The east window features stained glass by Kempe of 1875. To the south is a restored cusped-head aumbry. The south side has a 19th-century stained-glass window and oak panelling. A 19th-century vaulted panelled timber roof covers the space.

The south chancel chapel has a 15th-century parclose screen of three bays with chamfered reveals to the west. The east end contains oak panelling and a 19th-century stained-glass window with a small stained-glass light above. The south side has a 19th-century stained-glass window. A vaulted panelled timber roof with ogee curved braces covers the space.

Moveable fittings include 17th-century panelled oak benches with square newels and peg-top finials, some restored, and 19th-century pierced and turned oak choir stalls with two 17th-century scrolled ends with poppyheads and two 16th-century plain ends. A traceried panelled 19th-century pulpit stands alongside a plain lectern on a turned shaft. The font has a traceried panelled octagonal bowl and stem with a matching cover and cross. A disused 17th-century hourglass font is also present. The south porch contains a 15th-century octagonal stoup with canted corners. An 18th-century parish chest is stored within. A 19th-century large-bore heating system with stacked-tube radiators decorated with zigzag ornament is installed.

Monuments include a large chest tomb with tendril and fleur-de-lys ornament and a panel with arms to Humphry Fitzwilliam, 1559. A brass with half-effigy and arms to John Tonstall dates to 1630. An amateur brass with verse and illustration to John Hartshorne is dated 1678. Baroque-style wall monuments date to 1700, 1702 and 1720. An aediculed monument with Ionic columns, a broken scrolled pediment and arms dates to 1722. A draped oval cartouche with arms is dated 1732. An Adam-style marble and slate tablet is dated 1774. A large marble and slate monument by Westmacott with a draped relief panel and above a panel with a draped urn to Francis Otter is dated 1813. Egyptian-style wall monuments are dated 1831, 1835, 1837 (two examples). Additional wall tablets are dated 1801, 1808, 1823, 1852, 1856 and 1864. Brasses and small tablets are dated 1884, 1894, 1909, 1915, 1917, 1936 and later. Rolls of Honour for both World Wars are displayed.