Church Of St Peter

Church of St. Peter

This is an exceptionally complete Perpendicular church, built in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The chancel and chapels were built for Sir Robert Throckmorton and were still under construction in 1518. The south porch dates to around 1780, while the church underwent repair and re-roofing in 1829–30.

The building is constructed in sandstone ashlar, with the south aisle mainly in rubble. A brick stair turret with ashlar dressings is present. The church features moulded stone plinths and a string course, with low-pitched lead roofs with parapets. The plan comprises an aisled nave, chancel, north and south chapels, a west tower, and south porch.

The nave has four bays and the chancel has two bays. Windows and doors feature 4-centred arches with tracery in Perpendicular style. The tower rises in two stages with a double plinth and angle and diagonal buttresses. The west doorway has hollow-chamfered jambs and an arch under a straight head, with original double-leaf oak doors featuring moulded stiles and rails. A 3-light west window is present above, along with a small rectangular window. The bell stage has square-headed openings of two trefoiled lights with relieving arches. The parapet is embattled with 17th- or 18th-century pinnacles.

The Gothick south porch has an ogee arch, with a south doorway featuring hollow-chamfered jambs and an early 19th-century six-panelled door. The aisles, chapels, and chancel have diagonal and side buttresses throughout. Each aisle has two 3-light windows and 3-light west windows. The south aisle has trefoiled lights; the north aisle has cinqfoiled lights and wider openings. The north aisle includes a north-west door, blocked internally with spandrels carved with a human head and foliage. The nave clerestory comprises four 3-light windows with square heads, hood moulds, and cinqfoiled lights. The north and south chapels each have two 3-light windows and a small door, with square-headed 4-light east windows featuring uncusped lights. The south chapel has a ribbed door; the north chapel has a linenfold panel door, blocked internally, and a semi-octagonal stair turret. The chancel has a 5-light east window with cinqfoiled lights.

Interior

The nave contains a 4-bay arcade with hollow-chamfered piers and arches. The tower arch dates to 1890 and is 2-centred. The nave and chancel have Perpendicular timber roofs installed in 1829–30. The chancel arch and chapel arcades feature four half-shafts and 2-centred arches with two wave mouldings. The chancel and chapels retain late 17th-century paving of alternating black and white diagonally-set flagstones. The chapels and aisles have lean-to roofs.

The church contains a substantial collection of original furnishings and fittings. A font originally dates to the 13th century and was originally square but has been cut to an octagon with four incised crosses. It sits on a 15th-century stem with capitals and bases, though the shafts are missing. Much Perpendicular woodwork survives, some of it re-used. Chapel screens with tracery are present, along with a pulpit of 1891 made up from traceried and linenfold panels. Stalls and priests' desks have traceried fronts and linenfold backs. Panelled bench ends line the nave and aisles. A bread dole board in the south aisle, dated 1717, features an enclosure of small balusters with H-hinges below a stone tablet set in the wall.

The stained glass includes some early 16th-century pieces. The chancel east window contains three sibyls dating to around 1530, reset with 17th-century heads, alongside reset fragments and heraldic tracery. The north and south chapel windows retain pieces of original glass, including small complete figures of the Apostles, Evangelists, and other saints. The aisles have fragments of early glass. The nave west window dates to 1890 and is attributed to Powell.

Monuments

The church contains an important series of Throckmorton monuments. In the nave is a tomb chest for Sir Robert (died 1518), though it is now occupied by another Sir Robert (died 1791). The tomb chest has a grey marble slab and marble sides with rich quatrefoil panels and shields. In the chancel, north-east arch, is a grey marble chest tomb for Sir George (died 1552) and Dame Katherine, featuring panelled sides and brasses. In the south-east arch is an alabaster and marble chest tomb for Sir Robert (died 1570) with pilasters and panels. Also in the south is a large canopied alabaster monument for Sir John (died 1580) and his wife, with a panelled base, effigies, and six Corinthian columns. In the north is a chest tomb with black marble lid and brass and enamel cross for Sir Robert (died 1862) and his wife. A brass inscription plate commemorates Dame Elizabeth (1547). The church also contains 17th- and 18th-century monuments and grave slabs of the Throckmorton and other families.