Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This is a parish church of medieval origin, substantially altered and extended in later centuries. The building comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, vestry and south porch, constructed in coursed rubble, ashlar and dressed stone with concrete tile roofs.

The west tower dates to the 13th century and is in two stages. To the west it has two pairs of corner buttresses with chamfered plinths and three setoffs, a string course, moulded eaves and a plain parapet. The first stage has a chamfered lancet on the south side and a restored 14th-century doorway to the west with moulded imposts, hood mould and mask stops. Above this is a rectangular light. The east side shows the remains of two nave gables. The second stage is lit by four paired lancets with central shaft, vescia piscis and hood mould.

The nave is aisleless and has 14th-century work on the north side, which was restored in the 19th century. This side has three bays with three buttresses, a chamfered plinth and sill band. To the east is a chamfered 13th-century piscina. To the right are two blocked arcade openings containing a four-light and a three-light 14th-century lancet with ogee reticulation and hood moulds. The right lancet incorporates a pair of flanking rectangular lights, and above are four re-used corbels. The south side of the nave is late 18th century in the Classical Revival style, with a chamfered plinth, moulded eaves, projecting quoins and architraves, and a coped gable with kneelers. To the right are two round-headed windows with Y tracery.

The chancel is in two bays and has chamfered eaves. On the north side is a triple lancet with cusped ogee heads and unusual flowing tracery with hood mould. The east end has two pairs of gabled corner buttresses with double plinths, a single setoff and sill band, finished with a coped gable surmounted by a cross. A five-light ogee lancet with flowing tracery and hood mould lights this end. The south side has a chamfered plinth, sill band and moulded eaves, with two gabled buttresses with deep plinths. Three triple ogee lancets with flowing tracery and hood moulds illuminate this side.

The vestry is late 19th century with a chamfered plinth and eaves, coped gables with kneelers, and a pair of squat corner buttresses with two setoffs. Each end has a 13th-century style moulded lancet with hood mould and mask stops. The north side has a central shouldered external stack with octagonal shaft.

The south porch is late 18th century with a chamfered plinth and eaves, coped gable with kneelers and cross. The south doorway is round-headed with projecting imposts and keystone.

Interior

The interior contains a stone reredos and common rafter roof. An 18th-century inner doorway to the south porch has a round head with projecting imposts and keystone. The aisleless nave has a panelled dado, moulded cornice and plaster ceiling. The 13th-century tower arch is double-chamfered with separate mouldings on each side of the archivolt and four octagonal tapered imposts. A 19th-century matchboard screen with door now separates the nave from the chancel.

The chancel arch is 13th century and was restored in the 19th century. It is double-chamfered with triple shaft responds, cusps between them, moulded bases and crocketed foliate octagonal capitals. The chancel has a 19th-century principal rafter roof with arch braces carried on curved brackets with foliate corbels. On the north side is a moulded 14th-century door and to its right a segmental-headed tomb recess with roll moulding and hood mould, with painted 19th-century text. Above is an Easter Sepulchre with a moulded ogee recess with crocketed gable containing figures, flanked by two ogee-headed panels with figures of soldiers. Figure corbels are present, all painted. The east end has a chamfered aumbry to the right of the window, which contains late 19th-century stained glass. On the south side is a chamfered and moulded 13th-century piscina and the remains of another piscina in the window recess. The vestry contains a mid-19th-century Gothic fireplace.

Furnishings and Monuments

The font dates to 1662 and has a chamfered octagonal base, tapered stem with a panel at the foot inscribed "W 1662", an octagonal bowl with strapwork panels and moulded edge. A large 18th-century oak table with cabriole legs is present, along with an oak chest with bracket feet, leaf carving and the inscription "A W 1763". A 19th-century wooden lectern with octagonal stem and an 18th-century bench with shaped ends and arm rests are in the church, along with four copies of the bench. 19th-century matchboarded and panelled benches, stalls and desks line the nave. Two late 19th-century brass and iron chandeliers hang from the ceiling. An oak pulpit with panelled stand and steps, made in 1969, is of recent date.

A large alabaster monument to Edward Burnell, dated 1590, dominates the interior. It comprises a pilastered chest on a plinth with a shield supported by putti. The panelled ends have roundels with the initials "E" and "B". The top edge is inscribed "Edward Burnell gt. departed this present world the -- december in the peace of our Lord 1589". A full-size effigy in civilian dress surmounts the chest. The pilastered head panel has strapwork and blank shields on either side. It is inscribed "Made anno dmi 1590/ By me Barbara Burnell". The pilastered back panel has a frieze inscribed "God grant us all a joyful resurrection." A bracketed ogee crest contains a roundel with the initials "E B".