Church Of St Peter

ALTON C.P. HIGH STREET (North-west side) SK 0642-0742 13/27 3/1/67 Church of St. Peter GV II*

Parish Church. C12 core with C13 and C18 additions, restored and enlarged 1831 and extended 1884-5 by J.R. Naylor. Mainly C19 ashlar with edged herringbone tooling and C13 coursed and squared sandstone blocks; slate and plain tile roofs with coped verges. West tower, with angle buttresses, 5-bay nave and aisles, single-bay chancel, south vestry. West tower: C13 with later alterations; 3 stages with crenellated parapets; pointed west door of 2 main roll and fillet moulded orders springing from cylindrical shafts with palmette capitals and water holding bases; second stage has a late C14 pointed west window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with hood mould terminating in heads, segmental pointed belfry openings of 3 trefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery over; gargoyles to north and south. North aisle: pointed windows. South aisle: 1830. Pointed windows with Y-tracery and returned hood moulds, blind lancet with returned hood mould over a Tudor arch doorway with roll and hollow mouldings and hood mould terminating in square blocks; coved eaves and crenellated parapet. Chancel: 1884-5; north window of 3 lights with cinquefoiled heads under a segmental arch, pointed east window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery and a returned hood mould. Vestry: south window of 3 lights with cinquefoiled heads under a segmental arch. Interior: C12 north arcade, restored, cylindrical columns, square abaci and double chamfered semi-circular arches; south arcade c. 1830, stilted round arches springing from tall cyldrical columns with octagonal abaci to the capitals. C19 wide 4-centred chancel arch springing from engaged cylindrical columns with moulded capitals and bases, outer roll and fillet moulding; tall pointed tower arch with 2 massive wave-moulded orders; nave has a plaster ceiling, north aisle has a plaster ceiling with beams, one dated "G. W. 1743". Fittings: font probably C15 but recut. octagonal with panelled and traceried sides; late C19 wooden pulpit, semi-octagonal, heavily carved; painting of the interior of the church of c. 1830 before the restoration and enlargement; plaque commemorating restoration and enlargement of church in 1831. Monuments: Bill family memorial of 1782, marble wall plaque. Wall painting: above the north arcade remnants of a late C14 painting depicting the story of the Three Quick and the Three Dead. B.O.E. p. 55.

Listing NGR: SK0736142342