Church of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This parish church dates from the 12th century with significant extensions in the early and mid-13th century, and underwent restoration in 1854. It is constructed of sandstone rubble with sandstone ashlar and some tufa dressings. The roof is plain tiled with decorative ridge tiles. The building comprises a south-west tower, a four-bay nave with a lean-to south aisle, and a two-bay chancel with a north vestry. The bell-tower is crowned with a shingled spire.

The tower was added in 1854, replacing a former west bell-turret. It is of two stages with a chamfered plinth and intermediate string course. Angle corner buttresses with offsets are set between small subsidiary buttresses. The lower stage contains a pair of cusped lancets in the west elevation and a pointed-lobed quatrefoil window immediately below the string in both east and west elevations. The main entrance on the south elevation has a chamfered pointed doorway with a hoodmould and head stops. Above this is a clockface set in a cusped square niche. The belfry stage features pointed bell-chamber openings of two louvred lights, and above rises a broach spire with a finial and weathervane.

The north wall of the nave is of considerable thickness, indicating 12th-century origins. The south aisle was added around 1260, while the west wall was rebuilt in 1854. The 19th-century west window comprises a pair of cusped lancets with a trefoil between the arched heads. The north elevation has a buttress with offsets at the west end and four pairs of 19th-century cusped lancets with a continuous sill band.

The south aisle has a lean-to catslide roof. At the eastern end of its south wall is a tall 13th-century half-dormer window with a gable-end parapet, containing a two-light pointed window and, within the gable above, a small ogee-arched cusped niche. The wall west of the dormer has been refaced and contains two pairs of cusped 19th-century lancets, with a 19th-century cusped lancet at the east end.

The chancel dates from the early 13th century, though its east end wall was rebuilt in the 19th century. At the east end are three stepped cusped lancets with two trefoil windows and a central quatrefoil window above. To the left is a large buttress with offsets. The side elevations have buttresses at their eastern ends. The south elevation features two original lancet windows and, between them, a 19th-century pointed doorway with a hoodmould and head stops. East of the doorway are the remains of a wall memorial with two corbels supporting a moulded base. The north vestry is 19th-century with a lean-to roof, a lancet in the north end and east side, and an octagonal ashlar chimney to its east.

Interior

The south arcade has four pointed arches of two chamfered orders enclosed by a hoodmould, rising on large circular columns and responds. The three easternmost bays date from around 1260, with the remainder being 19th-century work. The tower base serves as a porch, with 19th-century pointed archways leading into the south aisle and nave. The pointed chancel arch is also 19th-century. Within the chancel, a pointed opening with a three-light timber traceried window and a cusped square-headed doorway lead to the vestry. The nave has a 19th-century arch-braced and cusped king-post roof. The chancel has a 19th-century scissor-trussed roof.

The chancel contains a 19th-century marble reredos with cusped niches containing angel figure reliefs, a pointed piscina, and a traceried arcaded Perpendicular chancel screen. The circular 12th-century font has a bowl enriched by twelve shallow round-headed panels. The panelled oak pulpit, dated 1631, is richly carved with foliated decoration. The reading desk is similarly detailed with demi-figures in high relief between the two main panels, and above them a panel carved with grotesque animals and inscribed "ROGER OSLAND CHURCHWARDEN 1635". The vestry contains a 17th-century oak table with turned legs and a panelled oak chest of around 1600.

In the south aisle is a trefoil-shaped piscina, and on a window sill are set two angel corbels and a coat of arms, probably from a wall memorial. At the south-east corner of the tower are three medieval monumental sandstone slabs carved with cross reliefs, two being the broken halves of a single slab. Nineteenth-century oil lamps by Wright and Butler of Birmingham survive in the nave, complete with their wooden stands attached to the pews and reading desk.

The chancel contains a memorial to Luke Ashby, died 1716, with scrolled corners, a 19th-century memorial to Harriet Holland, died 1825, and another partially illegible memorial to Matthew Bolton embedded in the wall. The south aisle has a 19th-century memorial to Thomas Hyde, died 1818, and another to Henry Hyde, died 1798, with flanking pilasters decorated with husks. Numerous floor slabs of mainly 17th and 18th-century date commemorate members of the Pytts family.