Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

Parish church. The building dates mainly from the mid-12th century, with significant late 13th and early 14th century alterations. It has undergone restorations in 1869, 1879, 1906, and the early 1980s. The fabric is rubble with sandstone dressings and tiled roofs. The distinctive spire, originally stone, was reduced to a stump around 1950 and replaced in fibre glass in the early 1980s. The church comprises a nave and chancel in two divisions with an apse, a late 13th century west tower, and a north porch built in 1888.

The west tower stands five stages tall with an offset to the top stage, plain parapet, battered plinth with string, and stepped diagonal buttresses. The belfry openings consist of two trefoiled lights under 2-centred heads. The fourth stage has a square-headed window in its east wall below a clock face. The third stage has a single trefoiled light window in each wall. The first stage contains a door in the north wall with a 2-centred head and a single trefoiled light window to the west. The ground floor has a narrow door in the south wall with a cinquefoil head, chamfered jambs, and a relieving arch above.

The south wall of the nave features a two-trefoiled-light window under a 2-centred head to the west end, dating from the late 13th century. To its right stands a mid-12th century south door with a semicircular head enriched by chevroned and billeted label, plain tympanum, and engaged shafts with scalloped capitals. Further east is a 12th century semicircular-headed window and two late 19th century lancets. The north wall is flanked by two 12th century semicircular-headed windows either side of the 1888 stone north porch. The north door is 14th century, with a 2-centred head of two orders and label. Two 12th century semicircular-headed windows flank this, followed by a 14th century window of two trefoiled lights under a 2-centred head. To its east are two small restored 12th century semicircular-headed windows, one above the other, lighting a staircase, with a pilaster buttress at the corner.

The chancel's west division contains a late 13th century 2-trefoiled-light window with 2-centred head that cuts through an earlier 12th century window. To its east is a 12th century semicircular-headed window, repeated in the north and south walls. The east division features a restored cornice with roll moulding and one 12th century semicircular-headed window in both the north and south walls, with a 13th century lancet additionally to the west. The apse is divided into three panels by pilaster buttresses, with a restored string of cable decoration below windows and a roll to the edge of the cornice. Each panel contains one 12th century semicircular-headed window.

The interior contains several significant features. In the chancel, the arch to the apse is semicircular of two plain orders with enriched chamfered imposts. The arch between the east and west chancel divisions is semicircular of two orders on the west face, enriched with chevron ornament and enriched chamfered imposts. The arch to the nave is semicircular of two plain orders with enriched chamfered imposts. In the north-west corner is a square-headed entrance to a spiral staircase, probably 12th century, providing access to a presumed lost tower over the west division of the chancel. In the nave, a crude segmental-headed opening at the north-east corner may have provided access to a lost rood. A late 13th century tower door with a 2-centred head of two chamfered orders stands in the nave, with a 13th century first-floor door above it, also with a 2-centred head.

The south wall of the nave contains a 14th century piscina with a cinquefoil head and quatrefoil drain. The nave roof is late 19th century, comprising coupled rafters with collars, straight angle braces and ashlar pieces, a central tie beam with crown post, and a collar purlin. The chancel's west division roof is probably 17th century, restored in the late 19th century, with two bays of tie-beam trusses with collar and four queen struts. The east division roof is similar.

The fittings include a stone altar slab with five consecration crosses and a chamfered soffit, set on a 18th or 19th century pedestal. The south door has planks nailed to battens and 12th or 13th century strap hinges with bifurcated terminals. The 12th century font is tub-shaped with cable and chevron ornament to the rim and cable to the base. A medieval stone coffin lies near the north porch but is not included in the listing.