Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

Parish church at Wilburton, dating from the 13th century with substantial remains from the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The building comprises a west tower with spire, aisleless nave, south porch and chancel, constructed in rubble and fieldstone with clunch and limestone dressings.

The west tower rises in four stages with an embattled parapet and leaded spire. It features four-stage angle buttressing and a half-octagonal newel stair turret in the south-east corner. The rear doorway has a two-centred arch of clunch and limestone with wave moulding and a label with mask stops, dating from the 13th century. A restored 15th-century west window contains three cinquefoil lights in a two-centred arch. The bell stage has two two-centred openings on each side within a two-centred arch.

The south porch is 15th-century with a parvise room above. It has a blocked parapet with main cornice and two storeys. The parvise room is lit by a window of two cinquefoil lights in a square head with moulded label and return stops. A niche with cinquefoil drop cusping in a two-centred arch and square label with carved stops is also present. The outer arch of the porch is two-centred with two wave-moulded orders, as is the inner arch.

The nave has a rebuilt parapet but retains its original main cornice with beast gargoyles. The restored south wall windows are in Ketton limestone with three cinquefoil lights and vertical tracery in two-centred arches. The chancel has three similar 15th-century windows in the south wall and a parapet with beast gargoyles. The east window is restored with five cinquefoil lights.

Interior

The tower arch is 13th-century, two-centred with two wave-moulded orders, the inner carried on a keeled shaft with moulded capital and base. The aisleless nave features blank wall arcading in four bays with two-centred arches carried on lozenge-shaped piers. Original stone seats remain below the arcading. The roof dates from the late 14th to early 15th century, comprising four bays with arched tie-beam construction and jackposts on corbels enriched with carved wooden demi-angels. The main beams, intermediate principals and spandrel braces are all moulded and carved with the arms and emblems of Bishop Alcock, with shields of arms at the intersections.

A north transept chapel was added in 1868. The chancel arch is 13th-century, two-centred with two hollow and roll-moulded orders on grouped shafts with ring-moulded capitals and moulded bases. The chancel has wall arcading similar to the nave. Its roof is 14th to 15th-century, comprising three bays with tie beams on jackposts with embattled corbels, moulded purlins, intermediate principals and tie beams. A four-centred arch opens to the vestry doorway in the north wall, flanked by an original plank door with wood frame and cover strips.

Flanking the altar are two 15th-century niches with vaulted canopies in two-centred arches with square embattled heads and heraldry to the spandrels. An early 18th-century communion rail of twisted balusters is present. Early 17th-century panelling at the west end of the nave includes a frieze from Stretham Church. A wall painting appears on the north wall.

The church contains brasses commemorating Richard Bole, Archdeacon of Ely (died 1477); John H 11 with wife and children (died 1506); and Will Byron with wife and children (died 1516). The 14th and 15th-century work is believed to have been carried out under the patronage of Bishops Alcock.