Parish Church Of St Peter

The parish church of St Peter is a late 14th-century building, with earlier fabric dating back to the 12th century. The church is noted for its finely proportioned tower and spire. The north wall contains fragments of carved stones from the early 12th century. The south aisle and arcade, along with the chancel and chancel arch, were constructed around 1300. The east end of the chancel was rebuilt in the 15th century. Early 16th-century additions include a rood stair, clerestory, and porch. The chancel was restored in 1871 and repaired in 1905, while the remainder of the church underwent renovations around 1876-79 and again in 1903-04. The spire was rebuilt in 1908, and the tower, spire, and nave roof were recently restored.

The church is constructed of limestone and pebble rubble with limestone dressings and an ashlar spire. Roofs are low-pitched and covered in lead, with the north porch roof now featuring a plain tile gable. The north-facing chancel has two bays with square buttresses and a plain parapet, containing two windows with four-centred arches of two lights with tracery, one originally from the 14th century and subsequently heightened. The nave wall features three buttressed bays with late 15th-century windows of two and three lights, mullioned and transomed. The porch, dating to around 1500, has a two-centred outer arch with continuous moulded jambs, and its roof incorporates two 17th-century tie beams with jack legs and pendant finials. The inner 14th-century doorway has continuous moulded jambs. The clerestory has four bays with three-light windows within square-headed arches.

The west tower comprises four stages, with square buttresses rising to the level of the belfry windows. These windows are coupled two-lights with quatrefoiled transoms and tracery forming two-centred heads. The tower is further detailed with bands of quatrefoils below the cornice. The octagonal broach spire has three tiers of spire lights.

Inside, the chancel arch is two-centred with two chamfered orders, resting on moulded corbels. The nave roof contains moulded and carved beams with jack legs, moulded spandrels, and shaped and pierced pendants on the soffit of the tie beams. A south door retains some original iron hinges, one bearing a stamped rosette and lappet attributed to Thomas de Leighton. An original piscina has been relocated to the south wall and features a two-centred head. The south aisle roof is modern, incorporating 17th-century tie beams. A 13th-century font has a square bowl with chamfered angles. A 15th-century oak screen consists of five bays with open tracery. Oak benches are constructed from reused 17th-century panels and include two “popey-head” pews. A 17th-century poor box is located on the back bench. Two modern desks feature 17th-century balusters said to originate from Stow Longa Manor House.