Parish Church Of St Peter Ad Vincula

This is a 15th-century parish church that was restored in the 19th century, severely damaged by enemy action in 1940, and subsequently restored between 1955 and 1958 by S.E. Dykes Bower. The building is constructed of flint rubble with fragments of brick, partly faced with ashlar, with limestone dressings and a lead roof.

Architectural Overview

All major elements—chancel, nave, north and south chapels, north and south aisles, west tower, and south porch—were rebuilt in the 15th century. The 1940 bomb damage was extensive: the north arcade and clerestory, most of the north aisle, the roofs of the nave and north aisle, and the tower were all rebuilt between 1955 and 1958, with the remainder repaired during the same campaign.

The chancel and both chapels have walls faced with ashlar and plinths enriched with quatrefoil panels and shields (mostly restored) bearing two crossed keys. The lower buttresses have plain panels, while the upper buttresses feature trefoil-headed panels.

Windows and Arcades

The restored east window of the nave comprises seven cinquefoiled ogee lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head, with moulded external and internal reveals and an external label. Externally below this window is a recess with hollow-chamfered jambs and a defaced cinquefoiled and sub-cusped four-centred head; each spandrel is carved with a pomegranate, and there is a moulded label with traces of a former crucifix and two figures.

The north and south arcades of the chancel each consist of three two-centred arches of two moulded orders. The columns each have four attached shafts with moulded bases and capitals, and the responds have attached half-columns. The two-centred chancel arch is of two moulded orders—the outer continuous, the inner resting on attached shafts with moulded bases and capitals.

The clerestory has an internal moulded string course and, on each side, three restored windows each of three cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a four-centred head.

North Chapel

The east wall of the north chapel contains a restored window of four cinquefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a four-centred head, with hollow-moulded splays and rear-arch. The north wall has three restored windows: the easternmost matches the east window; the other two each have three cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a segmental-pointed head, with hollow-moulded splays and rear-arch. At the west end of the north wall is a small doorway with moulded jambs and a four-centred head leading into the semi-octagonal rood-stair turret. The west arch is two-centred and of two continuous chamfered orders.

South Chapel

The south chapel is generally similar to the north chapel, with an east window matching that of the north chapel. In the south wall are three windows similar to the east window. Below the middle window is a doorway with moulded jambs and a four-centred arch in a square head with a moulded label; each spandrel is carved with a lion. The arch matches that of the north chapel.

Nave

The nave has north and south arcades, each of five bays with moulded two-centred arches and labels. The columns are similar to those in the chancel. The clerestory features a similar moulded string-course and, on each side, five similar restored windows.

Aisles

The north aisle has four restored windows in its north wall, each of three cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a segmental-pointed head, with hollow-moulded splays and rear-arch. Between the two western windows is the rebuilt north doorway, with moulded jambs and a two-centred head with a moulded label. The west wall contains a window matching those in the north wall.

The south aisle is uniform with the north aisle except that the restored south doorway has moulded jambs, a four-centred arch in a square head with cusped spandrels enclosing shields, and a moulded label. West of it is a small doorway with moulded jambs and a three-centred arch in a square head with recessed spandrels. The door is original, comprising three rebated wedge-shaped planks nailed to four rear ledges, with an incised ring-handle. It leads to a turret-stair to an upper room of the porch.

Tower and Porch

The west tower and tower-arch are wholly of 1955–8 construction.

The south porch is of two storeys with a 19th-century outer entrance. In each side is a restored window of two cinquefoiled lights in a two-centred head with moulded label, with hollow-moulded jambs and rear-arch; the sill is dropped to form a seat. The ribbed vault is restored but retains a central boss carved with a pelican, three smaller bosses carved with leopard's heads, and one with a woman's head. In each angle is an attached shaft with moulded base and capital. The upper stage has three restored windows.

Roofs

The Royal Commission on Historical Monuments reported that all the roofs are modern (that is, post-1714), incorporating some old material. The roofs of the north and south chapels appear to be wholly 19th-century, but all the others have the staining and shakes characteristic of ancient timber. As they were exposed to rain penetration from 1940 to 1955, it is difficult to determine from ground level how much of each roof is original and how much is 19th- and 20th-century restoration.

The low-pitched roof of the chancel is in seven bays with moulded tiebeams and three moulded butt-purlins in each bay, with plain rafters of horizontal section and carved corbels (restored 1847).

The low-pitched roof of the nave is in five bays with moulded tiebeams at half-bay intervals, short king-posts, and tracery above the tiebeams; there are three moulded butt-purlins in each bay, moulded wallplates, ashlar-pieces on carved corbels with tracery in the arches between, and plain rafters of horizontal section.

The low-pitched lean-to roofs of the north and south aisles are in five bays with moulded principal rafters at half-bay intervals, two moulded butt-purlins in each bay, moulded wallplates, arched braces from carved corbels, and plain rafters of horizontal section.

Fittings

In the south chapel is a 15th-century piscina with moulded jambs and a four-centred arch with foliate carved spandrels and octagonal drain. The north chapel has a recess for a former piscina with a segmental-pointed head.

In the chancel is a range of three sedilia with cinquefoiled two-centred heads and moulded labels, moulded and shafted jambs with capitals and bases, dating from the 15th century.

A stoup is located on the south wall of the south chapel, east of the doorway, with a broken round bowl and the base of a pedestal; this is 15th-century.

The font is early 13th-century, with a round bowl featuring a shallow carved arcade of trefoiled arches on pilasters with imposts and stepped bases. The round stem has four detached shafts, partly restored, with moulded capitals and bases.

Monuments and Memorials

Chancel

Floor-slabs commemorate: - Sir Mark Guyon, 1690, black marble with achievement of arms - James Boys, A.M., black marble with achievement of arms - Dame Dorcas Guyon, 1714, black marble (the last two partly covered by the altar)

On the north arcade are monuments to: - William Boys, 1742, white marble tablet with pediment - Henry Skingley, 1795, tablet of white, brown and black marble with lamp

On the south arcade: - William Fuller, 1748, slate tablet with white marble pediment - Henry Skingley, 1839, white marble sarcophagus on grey marble

North Chapel

Brasses commemorate: 1. John Paycock, 1533, and his wife—figures of man and woman, with indents of foot and marginal inscriptions, five scrolls, figure of Virgin and child, two groups of children and four shields 2. Thomas Peaycocke, 1580—figure of man in gown, foot and part of marginal inscription, indents of five plates and a scroll 3. George Laurance, 1594—inscription and merchant's mark 4. Thomas Aylett, 1638—plate with achievement of arms and inscription 5. Figures of two women with butterfly head-dress, circa 1480 6. Said to be of William Goldwyre, 1514—figures of man in fur-lined gown and woman in pedimented head-dress 7. John Oldam, 1599—inscription only

Monuments: - John Grime, 1714, black marble with achievement of arms on stone base - Samuel Carter, 1777, with achievement of arms - Thomas Andrew, 1826

South Chapel

Monuments: - Thomas Guyon, 1664, black, grey and white marble altar-tomb with moulded slab and plain pilasters at the angles - Edward Coldham Matthew, 1820, oval white marble tablet on black marble - Mark Guyon, 1839, white and black marble tablet - Mary (Waters), wife of Robert Honywood, 1620—painted figure of woman kneeling at prayer-desk, flanked by Ionic columns supporting a pediment, lozenge and two shields of arms, two skulls and animal, in black and coloured marble (removed from Markshall parish church on its demolition in 1932)

Nave

Floor-slab of Jane and Elisabeth Boehm, 1738, Jane Boehm II, 1740, and Richarda Boehm, 1742, in black marble.

South Aisle

Monuments: - Robert Townsend, 1728, white marble tablet with achievement of arms - Richard White Townsend, 1823, white stone tablet on black marble with pediment (loose) - Richard Meredith White, 1796, oval stone tablet - Mary Ann Dennis, 1827, white marble tablet

Bells

There are nine bells. The fourth is by Miles Graye, 1681. The fifth, sixth and seventh are by Thomas Gardner, dated 1733, 1757 and 1733 respectively. A 13th- or 14th-century bell, possibly by William Dawe, was removed from Frating parish church and is now used as a clock bell.

Churchyard

Externally, against the south aisle and south wall of the tower, are nine stone slabs, reversed or illegible, and one broken indent. The base of a churchyard cross recorded by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments is no longer known, nor are the headstones and table tomb previously recorded, unless they are included in the above.