Church of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This is a parish church of medieval foundation, substantially rebuilt in the 19th century. The tower dates from 1598, while the body of the church was largely reconstructed in 1848–49 by the architect Anthony Salvin in a style evoking circa 1290. Further additions were made in 1869–70 by G.E. Street. The building is constructed in ashlar with slate and lead covered roofs featuring coped verges. The plan comprises a west tower, a three-bay nave with south aisle and porch, and a two-bay chancel with both south and north chapels.

The west tower is a four-stage structure with the date "AND / 1598" inscribed upon it. It is marked by horizontal string courses and crowned with a crenellated parapet bearing crocketed corner pinnacles. The first stage contains a three-light pointed west window with cusped intersecting tracery. The second stage is pierced by rectangular loops to the west and north. The third stage has a two-light pointed west window displaying Decorated style tracery with a returned hood mould. The belfry openings consist of two trefoil-headed lights surmounted by a quatrefoil and enclosed beneath a semi-circular head.

The nave, rebuilt in 1848–49, is lit by pointed windows. Those to the centre and west on the north side exhibit cusped intersecting tracery, while the north-east window has two cinquefoil-headed lights with a trefoil above. All windows carry hood moulds terminating in carved heads.

The south aisle, added in 1869–70, features a crenellated parapet and pointed windows. The south-east window has three lights with cusped intersecting tracery; the south-centre window displays Decorated style tracery; and the west window contains three trefoil-headed lights with cusped circles in the head. A gabled porch projects from the south side, its pointed doorway moulded with two double-ogee orders resting on cylindrical nook shafts with moulded capitals and bases. A niche above the doorway contains an angel.

The chancel, rebuilt in 1848–49, is lit to the east by a three-light window with radiating mouchette tracery above. A pointed north window of two cinquefoil-headed lights with Decorated style tracery also lights this space.

The south chapel, added in 1869–70, has a plain parapet. Its pointed windows display cusped intersecting tracery. A south-west doorway has a cinquefoiled head, and the west window contains three trefoil-headed lights with cusped circles above.

The north chapel, built in 1848–49, features a Caernarvon arch doorway to the west. A two-light pointed window to the north incorporates a quatrefoil in the head and a returned hood mould, whilst two single-light windows open to the east.

Interior features include a nave arcade of double hollow chamfered pointed arches springing from octagonal columns with moulded capitals. A pointed and double chamfered tower arch separates the nave from the tower. The high pointed chancel arch is moulded with roll and fillet and quarter roll and fillet mouldings and rises from engaged columns with broad fillet moulding and moulded capitals bearing carved foliage painted gold.

A pointed south chapel arch, similarly moulded with roll and fillet and quarter roll and fillet mouldings, springs from clustered engaged columns with fillet-moulded shafts and moulded capitals. The hood mould terminates in carved leaf and flower stops.

The chancel arcade comprises pointed arches with deep hollow chamfer rising from octagonal columns with leaf-carved capitals painted gold.

The nave roof is scissor-braced, with braces springing from carved stone corbels. The south aisle roof is arch-braced with collar ties, displaying cusping between collar and principals and paired wavy wind braces. The principals spring from carved stone corbels. The chancel has an arch-braced collar roof with braces springing from short cantilevered beams supported on gold-painted carved brackets, which are themselves borne on stone corbels carved as angels. The south chapel roof is arch-braced with roll and fillet moulded braces carved with fleurons, springing from wooden corbels carved as angels. Cusped wind braces form circles, and cusping appears between collar and principals.

Fittings include a 19th-century stone font on a pedestal of clustered octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. The heavily ornamented basin is carved with crocketed ogee-headed panels and angels, and is covered by a pinnacled tabernacle font cover. A 15th-century wooden door at the west end features blind cinquefoil-headed panels. An octagonal wooden pulpit, richly carved with scenes from the life of Christ, is fitted with a brass hand rail and balustrade. 19th-century benches with carved poppy heads furnish the interior. A late 19th-century communion rail of highly decorative brass with a wooden hand rail survives.

Monuments include a group in the south chapel (Stanley chapel), largely restored by E. Richardson in 1848. These comprise an alabaster knight of circa 1370 (identified by Richardson's inscription as Sir John Stanley, died 1474) with a recumbent effigy resting his feet on a dog and a chest tomb below with cusped panels bearing shields. Sir Thomas Arderne (died 1391) and his wife are represented by two recumbent alabaster figures; Sir Thomas is depicted in full armour with his feet on a lion, beneath which is a chest tomb with cinquefoil-headed panels containing mourners and angels, some holding shields. John Stanley, killed circa 1460 when struck by a tennis ball, is shown as a recumbent child effigy with his feet on a dog. The face and hair are rendered in a style evoking the late 13th century, inspired by the so-called effigy of Jean, son of Louis IX, at Saint-Denis.

Sir William Smythe (died 1525) and his two wives are represented by three recumbent effigies. Sir William is shown in armour with his head resting on a helmet and his feet on a lion, beneath which lies a heavily decorated chest tomb bearing effigies of monks standing beneath canopies.

In the choir, a monument to William Staunton (circa 1450) has only the upper and lower thirds carved and sunk, whilst the central section remains plain.

The church retains important stained glass: the west window is by Wailes, dated 1841; the south aisle west window dates from circa 1525 and is of Netherlandish origin; the Stanley Chapel east window is by Ward and Hughes, 1870.