Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul, Eastham

Parish church. 12th century with 14th and 15th century alterations, partly rebuilt in 1825 and restored in 1864 and 1889. Part tufa-faced with sandstone ashlar internally and sandstone ashlar dressings; part brick; plain tiled roofs with parapet at east end. West tower, two-bay nave, three-bay chancel with north vestry. Norman and Decorated styles.

West tower: rebuilt in brick in 1825; two stages divided by string; chamfered plinth and corner buttresses with offsets, set diagonally at west end; lower stage has pointed west doorway; belfry stage has large, louvred lancet bell-chamber openings to all but east elevation and to which main string forms a sill string; door and bell-chamber openings all have hood moulds with returns which continue as a string to the corner buttresses; buttresses terminate in tufa pinnacles between which runs a plain parapet above a string. Lean-to addition to north elevation with square north light and pointed doorway in west side.

Nave: 12th century; central and east end pilaster buttresses and opposing doorways; west wall rebuilt 1825 and has diagonal corner buttresses with offsets; north elevation has a 19th century easternmost window in Norman style and the door in the western bay is 14th century, pointed with continuous bowtell fillet edge moulding; above it is a small 12th century light; south elevation has a 2-light 14th century window in its east bay and a 19th century cusped lancet in its west bay; both windows have hood moulds with returns. To the right of the west window is a pedimented wall memorial with an illegible inscription. The south doorway projects between slender pilaster buttresses and has a round arch of two orders enriched with incised lines and lozenges; the shafts beneath have cushion capitals and moulded bases and above the doorway is a blind arcade of four intersecting round arches with circular shafts and an enriched string beneath. East of the door are set two carved panels of Leo and Sagittarius, now barely discernible.

Chancel: 12th century extended in 14th century; east end has clasping pilaster buttresses, a 19th century sexfoil light in gable apex and a late 18th century wall memorial to the Griffin family; side elevations have 2-light 14th century easternmost windows and large central 12th century single-light windows; at west end of north elevation is a pointed doorway and small 12th century light and at west end of south elevation is a narrow rectangular light; between the two easternmost windows in the north elevation is a 19th century lean-to vestry; it has a round-headed light in its north elevation and a small east doorway adjacent to the chancel.

Interior: 19th century round-headed chancel arch with shafted jambs; moulded bases of former chancel arch visible through gaps let into floor; rood loft stair to left with doorway at top of stairs now glazed; to right of chancel arch are two carvings in low relief, an Agnus Dei and a lion with two bodies. Nave and chancel have ashlared arch-braced collar rafter roofs, the nave roof is strengthened by three tie beams of possible 14th century date. Chancel has a 14th century piscina with cusped head in east jamb of south-east window and there is a simple aumbry at the centre of both side elevations. Reredos made up of elaborate mid-17th century panels with blind arcading divided by six figures in high relief; 16th century panelling incorporated in choir stalls and priest's desk; also 17th century priest's chair. Font: 12th century, large sandstone circular example with wide fillet near upper edge and cable mould at junction of base and stem. Octagonal pulpit made up of 17th century panels. Lectern on 16th century carved and turned stem with four lion's feet at base. 18th century parish chest in north-west nave.

Memorials: chancel has a late 17th century painted cartouche surmounted by a coat of arms to Edward Soly, died 1690, another cartouche to Josiah Shelton died 1749, a mid- and a late 18th century brass, memorial in painted stone surrounds, and also another late 18th century and several early 19th century memorials. In 1816 the church is recorded as having had paintings of Moses and the Ten Commandments on the east wall.

This medieval church retains several original features of particular interest and has some fine 16th and 17th century woodwork.