Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter, Gayton

A parish church of 12th to 14th-century origin, with the nave and west tower rebuilt in 1732, and significant restoration undertaken in 1870 by the London architects W.G. Habershon and A.R. Pite.

The church is constructed of coursed rubble and ashlar in local grey sandstone, with snecked rock-faced finish. The nave north side and tower are distinctively faced in hand-moulded brick with ashlar lower courses, contrasting markedly with the stone masonry of the remainder of the building. Roof coverings are tile, with the chancel distinguished by banded red and grey tiles.

The plan comprises a nave with lower chancel, south aisle under an outshut roof, a west tower, south porch and north vestry.

The nave north side and three-stage tower are both brick construction with ashlar lower courses. The nave features four two-light Decorated windows. The tower, with embattled parapet, has a two-light west window matching the nave style, narrow pointed windows in the middle stage, and pointed openings with louvres to the slightly narrower bell stage. The south aisle contains three cusped south windows with a porch occupying the first bay; the porch entrance has continuous moulding and a hood with head stops. The buttressed chancel retains older fabric including part of a billet cornice possibly dating to the 13th century. Its south side displays a 13th-century chamfered doorway, two-light and three-light square-headed windows, and a cusped window in the extended eastern section. The three-light Decorated east window is a 19th-century addition.

Internally, the 12th-century chancel arch features nook shafts with scalloped capitals and chevron and billet moulding. The tower arch is segmental-pointed, probably 18th century. The four-bay south arcade has alternate round and octagonal piers with double-chamfered arches. The three-bay north arcade was infilled in the 18th century but remains visible internally; it has octagonal piers and single-chamfer arches. The chancel roof, installed during the 1870 restoration, comprises three bays with tie-beam trusses strengthened by arched braces. The nave roof is a four-bay king-post structure, probably dating to the 18th century. Walls are plastered. Floors are tiled, with medieval two-colour tiles in the nave and raised wood floors beneath the benches.

The chancel north wall contains a 14th-century tomb recess with simple cusping and a worn recumbent effigy holding a heart on its chest. The plain tub font rests on a later broad stem and base. The wooden pulpit is a First World War memorial featuring round and pointed arches. The nave contains plain pine square-headed benches with moulded edges; the choir stalls have poppy heads. The chancel is furnished with communion rails with turned balusters and a stone reredos displaying arcades beneath crocketed gables with relief scenes from the life of Christ.

The church originated in the 12th century, as evidenced by the surviving chancel arch. The existing nave arcades demonstrate that the church was enlarged during the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1732, the nave was rebuilt, the north arcade was infilled following the removal of the north aisle, and the present tower was constructed. The 1870 restoration by Habershon and Pite involved the rebuilding of the south aisle and porch, extension of the chancel, and addition of the north vestry.