Church Of St Peter And St Paul

This parish church has 12th-century origins, with the west wall of the nave and north aisle surviving from that period. The building evolved through successive phases: late 13th-century east arcades in the north and south transepts and probably the chancel; circa 1340 additions; and a west tower much repaired in the 18th century. The chancel arch was rebuilt in the 15th century. Major 16th-century works reconstructed the north and south aisles and north transept, rebuilt the nave, and added the south porch. 19th-century restorations included the addition of a north porch.

The walls are generally built of septaria and flint rubble with some diapering, also incorporating ashlar and flint diapering. Red and black brick diapering and red brick repairs appear throughout. Stone dressings predominate. The roofs are covered with red plain tiles and feature ornate ridge tiles.

Layout and Structure

The church comprises a chancel with north and south chapels, north and south transepts, a nave with north and south aisles, north and south porches, and a west tower with a south-eastern stair turret.

Exterior: Chancel

The chancel has angle buttresses and a partly restored 14th-century east window with three cinquefoil ogee lights, tracery above, a two-centred head, and a moulded label. The north wall, of 14th-century origin, contains a two-centre arched window with a moulded label, and below it a doorway of similar type and probably similar date but with moulded capitals and bases to attached shafts. The south wall has a window similar to that in the north wall, two red brick buttresses with a window between them—this probably 13th century with a shouldered head—and an ornate moulded rainwater head adjacent to the chancel.

Exterior: Nave and Chapels

The nave's east gable has an apex window of three trefoiled lights with a moulded segmental head, and two similar windows below. The east wall of the south chapel features a north window of 19th or 20th-century date except for its 14th-century rear arch and splays, with two cusped ogee lights, a quatrefoil above, a moulded two-centred head and label. The south window is of 14th-century origin with two cinquefoiled lights, tracery, and a two-centred head.

The south wall, including the aisle (whose wall is of diapered brick), chapel and transept, has angle buttresses and, from left to right, a similar buttress right of the porch and three red brick buttresses. Three 16th-century windows have four trefoiled lights with vertical tracery above and four-centred heads. A moulded band and plinth run beneath them. Two stone monuments with panels above stand between two buttresses. The transept contains a 19th-century window incorporating some 14th-century detail: three cusped ogee lights, tracery above, a two-centred head and label. The 16th-century south chapel window has three cusped lights, tracery above, and a four-centred head; below and set into it is a 19th-century square-headed doorway with a moulded label.

The west wall is of 16th-century diapered brick with a moulded band and plinth beneath a four-light window similar to the south wall windows.

Exterior: South Porch

The gabled south porch is of red brick with stone coping to the gable, stone-dressed angle buttresses, and a moulded plinth. The outer archway has splayed brick and stone jambs and a brick four-centred head of three chamfered orders. Stone side windows each contain two four-centred lights with square heads and moulded labels. The roof comprises six collared rafter pairs with a tie beam at each end. The south doorway has moulded and shafted jambs, a four-centred arch and label. The 16th-century door is of nailed vertical boarding.

Exterior: West Tower

The west tower, much repaired, has a 16th-century south-east stair turret. This angled turret has a slanting red-tiled roof, four small lights, and is attached forward of the angle to the nave west wall, which features a small hipped roof and a moulded brick alcove with a four-centred head above the hipped plinth and a moulded band above. Buttresses stand at the centre and angle of the south wall, the angles of the west wall, and three to the north wall, with a lean-to storehouse between the nave and the eastern buttress.

The west window is of 14th-century origin with two pointed lights in a two-centred head. Above it is an 18th-century red brick round-headed louvre opening, with similar louvres to each face of the belfry. A gargoyle projects from the north wall below the crenellations.

Exterior: North Walls

The walls of the north aisle, transept and chapel are 16th-century chequered flint and rubble with red brick repairs, featuring a moulded plinth and band below the windows. Six buttresses stand along these walls, the westernmost being 19th century. A 19th-century chimney is incorporated in the transept buttress. The aisle has four large windows with four trefoiled four-centred lights and tracery beneath four-centred moulded heads with moulded labels above.

The north doorway, positioned between the western windows, has moulded and shafted jambs and a two-centred arch under a square head. The spandrels are carved with a crowned monogram of the Virgin and the arm of an angel with a sword breaking the wheel of St Katherine. A label runs above. A 19th-century timber lean-to north porch shelters the entrance, with three three-light leaded windows, the outer lights being cusped ogees with tracery above.

The north transept has a 16th-century window of three trefoiled lights with a moulded four-centred head and label. A smaller but similar window lights the north chapel. The west wall contains a cusped three-light window with a moulded segmental head. A blocked 12th-century roundel is visible.

Interior: Chancel

The chancel roof is apparently of late date, of three cants with five pairs of arched braces on wall posts supported by corbels. Moulded and painted wall plates and painted panels between the rafter feet ornament the ceiling. Most windows contain stained glass. The north wall has a doorway with a chamfered two-centred arch.

The altar is said to be part of a slab with a chamfered soffit and two consecration crosses. The stone reredos is crenellated and divided into three panels, each containing four pinnacled niches with carved figures, with niches to right and left. An unusual 19th-century stone "sheepfold" altar rail with kneeling bench and ogee tracery stands before a mosaic floor.

Chancel Monuments

On the north wall stands an alabaster and marble table tomb with recumbent effigies of a man in armour, ruff and mantle (broken below the knees) and his wife with ruff and cloak. A canopy rests on carved and panelled pilasters supporting a cornice which carries shields and an achievement. This commemorates John, 2nd Lord Darcy (died 1580-81) and Francis Rich, his wife.

The south wall bears a table tomb similar in general design and materials to the north wall monument but with a panelled centrepiece above the cornice. The man wears the Garter (his left leg is broken below the knee). This commemorates Thomas, 1st Lord Darcy, Knight of the Garter (died 15--) and Elizabeth Vere, his wife, erected circa 1580. Also on the south wall is a wall monument to Lucy, Countess Rochford (died 1773) by William Tyler, featuring two moulded urns.

A piscina has moulded jambs, a three-centred head, and a round drain.

Interior: Chancel Arch

The chancel arch is probably 13th century, two-centred of three chamfered orders with 15th-century splayed responds, each with three moulded and attached capitals. Rose marble chancel rails with columns featuring moulded capitals and bases stand beneath stone cusped ogee heads, with a moulded base and rail.

Interior: North Chapel and Transept

The north chapel now serves as the organ chamber. The north transept was reduced to the width of the aisle and also shortened during the 16th-century alterations. The mid-13th-century east arcade comprises one and a quarter bays with two-centred arches of three chamfered orders. The round pier has four attached shafts with continuous moulded capitals and bases. The south arch springs from a moulded corbel, its stem carved with stiff flowers. Below is a round shaft, not central with the arch above, with a moulded corbel to the east face. At different levels are three blocked 16th-century doorways to the rood loft staircase.

The west wall has a brick four-centred arch of three moulded orders, with responds of three orders featuring continuous moulded capitals and moulded bases. The flat roof has moulded bridging and ceiling joists.

Interior: South Transept and Chapel

The south transept was reduced in depth like the north transept but retains its south wall. The east wall has a late 13th-century arcade of two bays, the northern partly blocked by a 16th-century brick pier. Two-centred arches of three chamfered orders rest on a pier with eight attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases, and a south respond with three similar shafts. The west wall arch corresponds with that in the north transept. The roof is similar to that in the north transept. A later traceried wooden screen closes the western arch. A floor slab commemorates Elizabeth Lambe (died 1757).

The south chapel has a tie beam roof with twisted foliate carving. Two corbels stand on the east wall; on the south bracket is a 14th-century man's head label stop. Against the east wall is a recessed table tomb monument with an alabaster effigy in robes with cloak and cap. On the rear wall is a brass inscription plate of the artist, Fr. Grigs, 1640, commemorating John Darcy, Sergeant-at-law (died 1638). The south wall bears a marble tablet with Corinthian capitals and an achievement to Briant Darcie (died 1587), Bridget Corbet his wife, and a number of their children and grandchildren.

Interior: Nave

The nave is entirely early 16th century and of brick except for the west wall. The east bay is separated from the rest by the responds of an unfinished chancel arch, each of three orders with rear four-centre headed squints. The east bay's north and south arches open into the transepts and are similar but lower than the west arches of the transepts. The nave's north and south arcades have five bays with arches similar to those in the west walls of the transepts.

On the west wall, south of the tower arch, is an early 12th-century plain respond with a chamfered impost relating to the former south arcade.

The early 16th-century nine-bay single hammer beam roof features moulded wall plates and posts, a ridge piece and triple side purlins, and curved braces to collars and hammer beams.

Interior: North Aisle

A 19th-century octagonal carved wood pulpit has traceried panels. The early 16th-century flat roof of five bays features moulded and ornately carved tie beams, bridging joists, purlins and wall plates, each with different running foliage and richly carved pendants to the centres of the main ties. Arched braces support the tie beams. The initials "SL" are carved on the east bay intermediate tie.

Interior: South Aisle

The 15th-century font is octagonal with cusped side panels enclosing two shields with crossed keys, a sword and three crowns, the head of John the Baptist, an angel with a shield, a knot and a heart. The soffit features flowers, a knot and a shield with a cross. The panelled and traceried stem rises from a moulded base.

The early 16th-century flat roof of five bays has moulded wall plates and cambered tie beams on moulded wall posts and corbels, with moulded purlins.

Interior: West Tower

The late 14th-century west tower has been much altered and repaired. The 14th-century two-centred tower arch has two wave-moulded orders and chamfered responds, each with an attached semi-octagonal shaft. The moulded capitals and bases project unusually widely.

Notable Features

Noteworthy features include the red brick nave arcades, the nave and north aisle roofs, and the 16th-century Darcy monuments.