Church Of St Peter

The Church of St Peter is a parish church largely dating to the early 14th century, with repairs from the 18th century and a 19th-century restoration. It is constructed of flint with ashlar dressings and has plain tiled roofs. The church comprises a three-stage west tower, a nave, and a chancel. The tower has diagonal buttresses to the west and an angle buttress to the east. Stilted doorways are present on the north and south sides; the south doorway has a hood with head stops, while the north doorway has been blocked with a lancet window. Above the south door is a trefoiled ogee niche. String courses define the tower stages. A trefoil light is visible in the ringing chamber on the south side. Restored Y-tracery two-light belfry windows are located below a crenellated parapet. A gabled south porch features 19th-century cinquefoiled side lights and a wave-moulded inner south door. All windows are 19th century and of varying types, with two-light cusped windows under square hoods and two-light trefoiled windows with reticulation units, spaced between flat buttresses to the south nave. Similar windows are present on the north nave, to the east of the blocked arched north door. A dentil eaves cornice runs along the nave. The chancel has diagonal buttresses and a three-light Perpendicular east window, with gault brick chancel buttresses and quoins. A trefoil arched light is on the north side of the chancel. A gabled, 19th-century vestry is situated at the east of the nave, to the north, and features a tall chimney. Inside, the rood stairs are located in the centre of the south side of the nave, suggesting a 19th-century extension. The church has a two-tier roof with butt purlins and braces to the collars. A similar roof covers the chancel. Late 17th-century iron twist altar rails have moulded handrails and a pair of central gates; quadruple iron twist balusters are spaced at intervals. A plain octagonal font is present, along with a painted depiction of the Royal Arms of Charles II, dated 1666. The early 17th-century pulpit is panelled with rosette-decorated arches and top panels and has a tester with a frieze and pendants. A notable wall monument in the north wall of the nave commemorates Sir Drue Drury (died 1617). This monument features three scrolled brackets supporting an inscribed tablet and plinth, upon which stand two robed angels parting curtains to reveal Sir Drue Drury kneeling before a reading table. A putto head looks down from the ceiling of a curtained niche within a semi-circular projection with a Doric frieze decorated with four coloured shields; two further heraldic shields in moulded roundels stand on a cornice framing an achievement under a bow-fronted open pediment.