Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul

A parish church dating from the 13th century, with significant work in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The north aisle chapel was added in 1349. The building was restored in 1820, 1867, by Hodgson Fowler in 1893, and again in 1962. It is constructed of coursed squared rubble and dressed stone with ashlar dressings, and is roofed in plain tile.

The church comprises a west tower, nave, north aisle, north aisle chapel, chancel and north porch.

The west tower has three stages. It features a deep moulded plinth, two string courses, gargoyles to the north, south and east sides, and a crenellated parapet of 15th-century date with eight crocketed pinnacles and a single central pinnacle carrying a weathercock. Four corner buttresses with four setoffs and plinths support the tower. The first stage has two stair lights to the south and a chamfered unglazed opening. On the west side is a chamfered and moulded doorway with a four-centred arched head and hood mould, fitted with a 19th-century traceried panelled door. Above this is a 15th-century cusped-head triple lancet with panel tracery, moulded reveal and hood mould. The second stage contains a chamfered round-headed opening with grill to the south, and a re-set corbel to the north. The third stage has four 15th-century cusped, transomed triple lancets with panel tracery, louvres and hood moulds.

The nave consists of three bays with plain eaves and a coped east gable with cross. The south side has three buttresses with two setoffs. The central buttress carries an 18th-century gabled ashlar and slate sundial with brass fittings. An off-centre restored Perpendicular-style quadruple lancet with round heads, panel tracery, splayed mullions and coved reveal occupies the south wall. This is flanked by single 19th-century Decorated-style double lancets with ogee heads, splayed mullions, chamfered reveals and hood moulds.

The north aisle has three bays, a deep chamfered plinth, moulded eaves band and moulded coped parapet inscribed with the dates 1820 and 1962. The west end has a single chamfered lancet. The north side contains a central 19th-century porch flanked by single 15th-century round-headed triple lancets with panel tracery and plain square-headed reveals.

The north aisle chapel is a single bay with plinth and parapet matching those of the north aisle. It has two diagonal buttresses with two setoffs and a coped east gable. The north side contains a central restored 14th-century double lancet with ogee heads, splayed mullion, chamfered square-headed reveal and hood mould. The east end has a restored 14th-century triple lancet with ogee and trefoil heads, Decorated tracery and hood mould.

The chancel has two bays with a chamfered plinth and coped east gable with cross. To the east are two 19th-century gabled corner buttresses with two setoffs. The north side has a chamfered pointed doorway with hood mould to the west, and further west a restored 14th-century Decorated-style double lancet with splayed mullion and splayed square-headed reveal with hood mould. The east end displays a restored 14th-century Decorated-style triple lancet with cusped ogee heads, reticulated tracery, splayed mullions, chamfered and rebated reveal and hood mould with mask stops. The south side has two 19th-century Decorated double lancets with ogee heads, splayed mullions, reveals and hood moulds to the east, and to the west a restored pointed low side window with hood mould.

The north porch is 19th-century in 14th-century style. It has two diagonal buttresses, a single setoff and a coped gable with cross. The north doorway features column responds with moulded capitals and bases. Each side has a cusped single lancet. The interior has a moulded wall plate and scissor-braced principal rafter roof with spine beam and ashlar pieces. A 19th-century inner doorway has a moulded pointed head with hood mould and a 19th-century door with ornamental hinges.

The interior of the nave contains a north arcade of 13th-century date with four bays. The arcade has cruciform piers with flanking shafts; the flanking shafts of the two eastern piers are keeled. All piers have moulded bases and capitals with matching east and west responds. The arches are double chamfered and rebated with hood moulds and foliate and mask stops. A scissor-braced 19th-century principal rafter roof with ashlar pieces covers the nave. The tower arch is of 13th-century date, double chamfered and rebated with clustered keeled shaft responds. The first stage of the tower contains a former priest's room, now used as a pigeoncote, with an ashlar fireplace having a coved and splayed surround, a blocked window to the east, and two rows of gypsum plaster nest boxes. A plank door within bears graffiti dated T H 1867.

The north aisle contains 17th-century framed panelling with a reeded frieze and a window with 19th-century stained glass to the west. The east end has a 13th-century chamfered and rebated arch to the north aisle chapel, with a beast mask impost, and to its left a chamfered square-headed recess. A 19th-century lean-to roof with chamfered timbers covers the area.

The north aisle chantry chapel was endowed in 1349 by Sir John and Isolde Bray. The north side has two round-headed chamfered tomb recesses with a splayed intermediate pier and hood moulds. The east end has a window with stained glass of 1925 and a chamfered bracket to the right. The north-east corner contains a cusped round-headed recess and squint.

The chancel arch is of 19th-century date but executed in 12th-century style. It is double chamfered and rebated with hood mould and mask stops. Round responds on square bases carry moulded capitals and nail-head bands. The chancel north side has a triangular-headed aumbry with 19th-century door to the east. The east end displays oak panelling and a window with stained glass of approximately 1961, flanked by single mask brackets. The south side has a low side window with patterned stained glass to the west. A 19th-century arch-braced principal rafter roof with spine beam covers the chancel.

Fittings include a 14th-century octagonal font with moulded base and bowl, a disused 19th-century octagonal font bowl, a 19th-century fretted panelled timber pulpit on a moulded 19th-century ashlar base, and a 20th-century desk-type lectern. Chamfered benches date from the 19th century; traceried panelled desks, stalls, altar and rail are from 1941–49. An oak chest with elaborate iron strapping is said to date from around 1250. A 17th-century armchair with chip-carved back is present, along with a mid-18th-century panelled oak cradle with turned finials.

Monuments include a Baroque-style marble war memorial with scrolled pediment of 1918, a marble and slate war memorial tablet from the Methodist Chapel of 1918, and a notice of 1867 referring to a grant for restoration. A plaque of 1949 refers to the chancel furnishings. Four small 20th-century memorials are also present.