Church of St Peter is a Grade I listed building in the Breckland local planning authority area, England. First listed on 30 May 1960. A Medieval and later Church.
Church of St Peter
- WRENN ID
- slow-gargoyle-gold
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- Breckland
- Constituency
- Mid Norfolk MP: George Freeman (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 30 May 1960
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Medieval and later
- Address
- Church of St Peter, the Street, Garvestone, Reymerston and Thuxton
- OS grid reference
- TG 020 060
- Coordinates
- 52.61425, 0.98284
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Church of St Peter is a parish church dating from the medieval period, with later additions. It is constructed primarily of flint, with ashlar and some brick dressings, and has lead and pantile roofs. The church comprises a west tower, an aisled nave with a north porch, and a chancel with a vestry to the south.
The west tower is of 13th-century origin, featuring a projecting stair turret to the north. It has a pair of angle buttresses and one diagonal buttress to its western angles, along with a later doorway on the south side. Lancet windows are present on both the ground and first floors. The aisles feature 2-light cusped Y-traceried windows at their western ends. The south aisle has a plain, chamfered doorway of two orders, and three restored 2-light Perpendicular windows, along with a restored 3-light cusped Y-traceried east window. The north aisle contains a deeply moulded 13th-century doorway supported by nook shafts and a dogtooth hoodmould, as well as three restored 2-light Perpendicular windows and a fine cusped Y-traceried east window incorporating cusped circles. A late medieval porch, with diagonal buttresses and 2-light cusped side windows, stands to the north. The clearstorey features six 2-light late medieval windows, with the central pair having wider mullions to accommodate the roof wall-posts. The chancel incorporates a 2-light window in the Decorated style to the north, and a 3-light east window in the Geometric style. A small, modern vestry is situated to the south.
Inside, 4-bay arcades from the late 13th century extend to north and south aisles, supported by circular piers and alternating octagonal and circular piers. The circular piers have stiff leaf capitals (except for one undecorated pier) and water-holding bases. The arch mouldings display an interesting development, with the easternmost pair featuring deeply cut small roll mouldings, the two intermediate pairs having triple soffit rolls (the outermost keeled), and the westernmost pair being plain chamfered. A small tower arch echoes the triple soffit roll found in the intermediate arcades. The chancel arch is a plain chamfered two-order design. The roof is of 15th-century construction, with arch-bracing, single rolls to the principal beams, and embattled roll-moulded wall plates. A 15th-century octagonal font displays Evangelist symbols and Prophets, a carved stem with rosettes, and one surviving lion spur. Pews have plain poppy-head bench-ends, while the aisles retain 18th-century box pews. A triple-decker pulpit showcases 17th-century upper and middle boxes, with an 18th-century clerk's desk and tester. It is notable for its bracket and lunette carvings. Particularly noteworthy are the very elaborate north European Baroque altar rails, intricately carved and pierced, featuring acanthus scrollwork, swags, and two medallions depicting biblical scenes, along with fine 18th-century Gothic Revival choir stalls.
Local climate
Church of St Peter sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 80% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 95% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 31 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 61% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
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