Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul

A parish church with possible 12th-century origins, altered in the 14th century and largely rebuilt in 1740 following partial destruction by flood water in 1720. The church was further altered in 1903. The building is constructed of part dressed rubble with ashlar dressings and part ashlar, with stone-tiled roofs laid in diminishing courses and decorative ridge tiles. The chancel features a gable-end parapet with cross finials at the gable ends.

The church comprises a west tower, a three-bay nave with a south doorway, and a two-bay chancel with a north vestry.

The west tower was partly rebuilt in 1903. It has three stages with strings (except beneath the belfry stage). The lower stage has chamfered rectangular lights with metal bars on the north and south sides and a square-headed west doorway. The second stage has similar windows on the north, south and west elevations. The belfry stage features round-arched louvred bell-chamber openings to the east and west, a rectangular opening on the north side, and a 2-light opening with round-arched lights, partly concealed behind a clockface on the south side. Above this rises a tall embattled parapet, pyramidal roof and weathervane.

On the north elevation of the nave is a raking buttress between two 2-light windows in the easternmost and central bays, with a rectangular light with a cusped head at the western end. The south elevation has two 2-light windows in the easternmost and central bays. At the western end is a large round-headed window retaining its original Georgian leaded glass. To the east of this window stands the south doorway, which has a moulded cornice, banded rustication and a round-headed archway executed in pink sandstone ashlar, complete with its original studded and battened door.

Some medieval walling survives on the north and east sides of the chancel. The 2-light east window is late 14th-century and probably in situ. The south elevation of the chancel contains two 2-light windows flanking a round-headed chamfered doorway (now blocked, containing a timber First World War memorial).

The north vestry is gabled and has a 2-light north end window and a chamfered round-headed east doorway.

Interior

The interior features a round-headed chancel arch. A 16th-century rectangular light is set in the west wall of the nave. Both nave and chancel are fitted with wagon roofs.

The chancel contains an early 17th-century reredos with a four-bay overmantel featuring three terminal figure reliefs, two enriched arcaded panels and a frieze carved with dolphins and three shields, one of which is dated 1629. The reredos is flanked by reused 17th and 19th-century panelling. The altar rails date to 1740 and have turned balusters and a moulded handrail.

The font has a hemispherical bowl of probable 12th-century date, mounted on a 14th-century moulded octagonal base with a square plinth decorated with spur ornaments. The ornately carved four-sided timber pulpit is an early 20th-century reproduction in the Jacobean style.

The dado in the chancel and nave comprises reused 17th-century panelling, which is also incorporated into the backs of the pews and includes a cupboard door dated 1704. Some 16th-century bench ends with shaped tops and elbow rests are incorporated into the pews. The west gallery dates to circa 1740 and has turned balusters, a moulded handrail and a dogleg staircase with square newels and shaped finials on its north side.

Memorials

The south chancel wall contains a late 17th-century memorial to Thomas Williams (died 1698) with a segmental pediment, achievement of arms, Ionic columns and garlanded base. There is also a memorial to Joan Spencer (died 1826) and numerous memorials to members of the Dew family dating from the mid-19th century onwards. In the nave is a memorial to Ann Powell (died 1823) with a swagged urn relief and a memorial to Alice Dew (died 1855) with lily-of-the-valley relief garlands.