Church Of St Peter

A Grade I listed parish church combining 12th-century work with significant 14th-century additions and alterations.

History and Development

The church originates from the 12th century, originally constructed with a nave, central crossing tower, and chancel. The present chancel dates from the 14th century. When the central tower was demolished, the nave was lengthened and a new north-west tower built in the late 14th century. The nave walls were substantially rebuilt in 1882–83 by W.J. Hopkins, architect of Worcester.

Exterior

The building is constructed of coursed squared lias and sandstone masonry with a west gable of brick and timber-framed tower, under tile roofs.

The chancel is supported by diagonal buttresses and a short buttress below the east window. The 3-light east window with reticulated tracery is a 19th-century restoration. The south chancel wall features a low-set trefoil-headed window on the left, and in the centre a 14th-century window frame containing a 2-light plate-tracery infill in brick, possibly from the 16th century. An identical window appears on the north side. A substantial raked buttress supports the north chancel wall at the junction with the east wall of the nave.

The position of the original crossing tower remains evident. On the north side, a broad north-west pilaster marks its position; on the south side, the original shallow-projecting south-west stair turret survives. The former tower base is battered. A thin pilaster strip appears below one window in the nave south wall.

The nave south wall contains a small, high-set 12th-century window to the crossing with deep internal splay; an identical window further west now opens into the tower. A 2-light square-headed window sits above, with trefoil-headed lights on the left and, on the right, a 2-light window of round-headed lights. The south doorway is 12th-century but repaired, featuring nook shafts with badly worn capitals (scalloped on the right-hand side) and restored chevrons to the arch and imposts. The door is reinforced by a 12th-century wrought-iron strap with C-scrolls.

The west wall has angle buttresses and a 3-light Decorated window. Purlins of the nave roof project through the brickwork, with one timber post from purlin to verge preserved.

The striking timber-framed tower features a 19th-century pyramidal roof above a deep moulded cornice. The 2-stage tower shows evidence of repair and is strapped in places, with some minor timbers replaced. The tower aisles have curved down-braces from the corner posts of the tower to the corner posts of the aisles. Window openings have Tudor heads. The north face has a low doorway with a window above it; belfry openings have louvres. The west and east faces of the aisles feature straight diagonal braces.

Interior

A wide, low round-headed chancel arch, originally the eastern arch of the crossing tower into the chancel, features one order of nook shafts and scalloped capitals with a stepped arch incorporating an upside-down figure of St Peter. Footings of the crossing tower's west wall indicate its arch was similar to the surviving east arch. Part of the south wall of the crossing is ashlar-faced and incorporates a round-headed door to the stair turret.

The nave roof is divided into two sections. The eastern section, occupying the former crossing tower position, consists of a plastered, canted waggon roof divided into panels with tie beams at each end; ribs and wall plate appear to be 19th-century. Below the east tie beam is a former rood loft doorway. The remainder of the roof has two ovolo-moulded tie beams and closely spaced collar-beam trusses with bracing below the collars, and probably later collar purlins.

The 2-bay chancel roof contains three trusses. The truss against the east wall has a hammer beam to accommodate the east window; the other two are queen-post trusses, plastered behind and set on a 19th-century brattished wall plate. Walls have been stripped of plaster.

The bell chamber is supported internally by massive X-shaped braces on timber sill beams, with additional X-shaped brace against the nave wall constructed from re-used roof timbers. Floors are stone paved, with parquet beneath the south bank of pews and modern boarding on the north side. Medieval 2-colour tiles surround the font.

Principal Fixtures

The font has a shallow bowl on an octagonal stem with square base, possibly 12th-century. A late 17th-century polygonal pulpit on a stone base is decorated with round-headed arches. 18th-century communion rails have turned balusters. A trefoil-headed piscina is in the south wall. Nave benches are partly 16th–17th century but otherwise 19th-century, with square ends and moulded tops; 19th-century choir stalls have shaped ends. The doorway into the tower has a timber door with 12th-century straps incorporating C-scrolls. An Anglo-Saxon mass dial is positioned over the north doorway.

The east window, created in 1909 by W. Pearce Ltd of Birmingham, depicts Christ with Saints Peter and John. The chancel south window shows the Good Shepherd, probably by the same artist.