Church Of St Peter

SO 54 SE WITHINGTON CP WITHINGTON

7/206 Church of St Peter

• 26.1.67 GV II*

Parish church. C12 origins, remodelled and added to in C13 and C14, restored 1858. Sandstone rubble, slate roof. Four-bay nave and two- bay chancel under continuous roof, late C13 or early C14 ashlar built west tower and spire, north organ chamber dated 1899, late C19 south porch. West tower: three stages with no dividing string courses, large off-sets to base, diagonal buttresses to north-west and south-west, stair turret on south side next to south-east buttress, two water spouts to each face break through string course below plain parapet; recessed ashlar built ribbed spire with lucarnes near the top and trefoiled 2-centred openings to its base; west window is a hooded lancet; the first storey has north and south trefoil-headed lancets. Nave: blocked north doorway under C12 semi-circular arch head and jambs with heavy roll mouldings similar to south doorway. C15 north-west window of two trefoil headed lights under square head. Main south window has three lights with cinque- foil heads, probably C19. East window of north wall is C13 lancet, to the west of it is a C14 2-light ogee-headed window. Chancel: C19 3-light east window and two restored lancets on south wall. Interior: nave has unceiled late C19 wagon roof with scissor bracing above, chancel is ceiled. Liturgical division marked by large moulded arched truss, crossing the chancel screen, which in part may be C15 but appears heavily restored. Tower arch is 2-centred with three orders of chamfered mouldings under a label terminating in corbel heads. Screen, perhaps part of a C15 rood loft, but restored, has crested beam above eight open panels with ogee traceried heads. C13 trefoil-headed piscina in south wall of nave has foiled drain; to its west is a contemporary recess under a 2-centred arch. Communion table is C17 with balustered legs, three contemporary chairs. Late C19 font has six marble shafts with stiff-leaf capitals supporting sexfoil shaped bowl. Plaque: in north wall of chancel to William Saxeye, chief justice of Munster, died 1612: E HERE LYETH Y BODYE OF WILLIAM SAXEYE ESQVIER IVSTICE OF PEACE & CORAM IN THIS COVNTY OF HERIFORD HE WAS CHEEFE IVSTICE OF YE PROVINCE OF MVNSTER IN IRLAND FOR YE SPACE OF XV OR XVI YEARES HE WAS BORNE AT BRISTOLL AND DIED AT LITTLE THINGILL THE VII th OF FEBRVARY IN THE YERE OF OVR LORD GOD 1612

(RCHM, Vol II, p 216).

Listing NGR: SO5657443486