Parish Church Of St Peter And St Paul

A parish church of early 13th-century origins, substantially rebuilt and enlarged during the medieval period. The early 13th-century tower survived until 1897, when it was rebuilt in 14th-century style. The nave was replaced in the late 13th century with nave arcades and accompanied by the addition of north and south aisles and a clerestorey around 1350. The chancel dates to approximately 1330. A south porch from the late 14th century was restored in the 19th century, and an external turret to the rood screen was added in the 15th century.

The church underwent major restorations in the early 18th century under Edward Nightingale (died 1723), a chancel east window replacement around 1844, and a south chapel rebuilding in 1862. The most extensive restoration occurred in 1864–1865 when Nash of Royston rebuilt the aisles, nave, and roofs. The west tower was rebuilt in 1897.

The walls are constructed of flint rubble and clunch with original clunch dressings, later supplemented with 19th-century limestone replacement. Roofs are of lead and slate.

The south elevation displays a three-stage west tower with an embattled parapet and small leaded spirelet belfry. The belfry features a blind arcade with a two-light window. The nave has an embattled wall with a moulded cornice and gargoyles, with six restored two-light windows bearing ogee tracery in flat arches with drip moulds. The south aisle has a pent roof, while a slightly wider two-bay chapel to the east end features a moulded plinth with continuous stone around two-stage angle buttresses and three restored three-light windows with ogee heads and flat arches topped with drip moulds. A small quatrefoil window of possibly original 13th-century date appears in the fabric west of the chancel. Three bays of chancel feature a moulded plinth, plain parapet, and similar three-light windows with mouchettes in two-centred ogee arches with foliate finials to drip moulds.

The north elevation includes an octagonal stair turret and priest's door. The north-east bay of the chancel shows a blocked window, locker, and piscena belonging to a former chapel and vestry. The south porch, rebuilt in the 19th century, sits on a high flint and stone plinth with a two-centred moulded wooden arch and trefoil spandrels. The porch sides feature cinquefoiled lights. The roof comprises two bays with a crown post and cambered tie beams. The south doorway has a restored two-centred arch of two sunk-chamfered orders with a moulded label.

The interior reveals nave arcades of six bays with two-centred arches of two hollow or plain chamfered orders, octagonal piers, and semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps and spurred bases. The chancel arch is two-centred with two moulded orders and filleted attached shafts with moulded caps and bases. The tower arch, replaced in the 19th century, has a four-centred head.

On the chancel north wall is a small recess possibly an Easter Sepulchre. The south wall contains a double piscena with trefoiled heads and crocketted ogee labels, and sedilia with three seats and an arcade of three ogee arches with crocketted labels. A 15th-century screen features an ogee head to its doorway, recently repainted.

The font is of polished 13th-century Purbeck marble with an octagonal bowl on a circular plinth supported by eight shafts. The chancel roof spans five bays with king and queen posts, moulded tie beams, and principle rafters with carved bosses, possibly dating to the late 15th century. A south door comprises wooden planks with a notched lap rear frame from the 14th century or earlier, similar to examples at High Roding in Essex; the chancel north door is also 14th-century.

A Purbeck marble floor slab in the nave bears brasses depicting a man and woman labelled 'JOHN TURPIN 1494 with Margaret his wife, also WILLIAM TURPIN Esq Principal of New Inn was here interned - 1575, also JANE TURPIN widow and benefactor to this church and to ye poore - 1597 THOMAS TURPIN - 1627 with ANN his wife and EDWARD TURPIN - 1683 and ELIZABETH his wife and CHILDREN of them'.

The church contains numerous monuments. In the nave, a black marble tablet with moulded and enriched frame, apron, death's head, and drapery commemorates Geoffrey and Elizabeth Nightingale (1664 and 1681). By a tower buttress are white and black marble tablets to Sarah Hewerdine (1739), the Reverend George Pennington (1832) and his wife Catherine (1839), Joshua Lilley (1848), Elizabeth Lilley (1852), and their daughter (1825). Floor slabs in the chancel record Ann, wife of the Reverend W. Cowling (1807); a draped figure of a man in white marble with an inscribed tablet to Henry Butler (1647); and a black slab to Charlotte, widow of Porter Bringlove (1843). The nave contains numerous black marble and black slate slabs recording Edward Nightingale (1723, 1804, and 1750 with Eleanor his wife), other members of the Nightingale family (Charles 1757, Captain Robert 1784), and parishioners including Thomas Fair (1822), the Reverend John Williams (1770), George Mauby (1812), Ernest Barnard (1750), Ephrain Sell (1830), and Simeon Sell, a farrier (1822).

A stone tablet set in the tower with a moulded border and Nightingale coat of arms records: 'This library was founded and erected by Edwd Nightingale of Kneesworth Esq. AD 1717. This church was entirely paved with free stone at his proper cost and charge. These together with the clock now in the steeple and many other Benefacions to this church and parish were the efforts of his liberality to them ... died and interned 1723'. The library was installed in new cases in the vestry in 1900; in 1969 the books were sold to the libraries of Cambridge and Essex universities. Two wheel-less ploughs formerly kept in the tower are on loan to Saffron Walden Museum. Two 13th-century coffin lids are also preserved.

The chancel south window retains 14th-century glass, possibly supplemented with 16th-century work.