Church Of St Peter

TG 03 SW MELTON CONSTABLE MELTON CONSTABLE PARK

3/63 Church of St. Peter.

6/3/59 I

Parish church and mausoleum of the Astley family formerly of Melton Constable Park. Nave, crossing and sanctuary; mausoleum with family tribune above forms south transept; north transept 1859. Materials, details and plan suggest pre-1066 date. Conglomerate, flint, stone dressings, tiled roof of c.1900. Nave west gable with late C19 Romanesque door and 2-light 'Y' tracery window c.1300 above. Nave south wall with blocked Perpendicular south doorway, nave north with one round headed lancet deeply splayed internally, one 3-light Perpendicular window. Crossing tower with quoins, slightly set off belfry stage with blocked round headed openings and late C19 Romanesque windows, conical roof. Ground floor one 2-light straight headed Perpendicular window. Chancel details externally C19, buttresses and 3-light east window. Interior. Nave with 5 bay Perpendicular arched braced roof with wall posts on stone corbels, carved bosses at intersections. At east crossing a low rounded arch supporting at apex a Romanesque window opening with central massive shaft with two arches under a typanum, all plastered except for stone capital of central pier, presumably originally matched by other such openings. Within sanctuary tower one C19 round arch to north, Perpendicular chancel arch to west, Perpen- dicular details to south including squint. Flat boarded roof. Chancel with C19 roof with arched braces supported on C19 carved angle corbels. Mid/late C19 wooden reredos incorporating triptych with grisaille panels on reverse. Monument 1818 Bacon invenit, Manning fecit. To south recut Easter recess with 1914-1918 memorial. South transept family tribune added c.1681. Panelled dado and pews. Segmental arched opening to nave, classical details. Stairs dated 1636. Collection of good C18 family monuments, none signed, and painted heraldry of Astley family "from Norman Conquest" to present day. Nave north wall monument J. Bacon sculpt 1807. North window with mostly secular C16 and C17 glass fragments. Chancel east window with C15 head; north transept with Crucifixion window 1859. Restored 1885, chancel furnishings and reredos 1903: Kellv's Directory Norfolk (1916) p.261.

Listing NGR: TG0378431960