Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

A parish church of the 11th century and later periods, restored in 1837. The building is constructed of flint and some iron-rich erratics with stone dressings and plain tile roof.

The church comprises a west tower, nave and chancel in one, and a north porch. The unbuttressed tower contains some iron conglomerate and has undressed lower quoins and stone upper quoins. A 19th-century two-light west window sits under a four-centred arch with ogee-headed cusped light and panel tracery. The north and south faces feature narrow triangular-headed lancets dressed in iron conglomerate, with a small tile-dressed bull's eye to the west and a similarly dressed clock of 1870 to the north. The recessed bell stage was rebuilt in 1870 with stone dressings and two-light 19th-century bell openings to each face with Decorated tracery. A 19th-century parapet of brick and stone chequerwork with square ashlar sits atop, with a square ashlar turret to the north-west and standing angels to the south-east and north-east angles, and a standing apostle to the south-west.

The west nave has lower angles that are undressed, middle angles with some iron conglomerate and brick dressings, and upper angles stone-dressed. The north-west nave is battered, with vestigial stair turrets to north and south in the angles with the tower.

The north porch is of flint with small diagonal buttresses. Its north facade is rendered with a niche over the arch. The arch was renewed in the 19th century with shafts to the jambs and wave moulding. The returns have small 19th-century two-light openings, and the roof and parapet are 19th-century. A plain north doorway contains a medieval ledged and battened door, with stone in the angle to the right. A large 18th-century brick buttress projects from the north facade, with one lancet to the east, a 19th-century renewed opening to the right, and two single 19th-century lancets replacing 12th-century lancets.

A vestry and entrance of 1845 were added to the chancel, constructed of English bond brick with a crowstepped gable. A double casement to the east has pintle hinges, and there is a lancet to the north with an entrance door to the right.

The early 15th-century chancel has stone dressings. A five-light east window of circa 1412 features panel tracery with a blocked quatrefoil above. The south facade runs from west to east as follows: a south doorway with plain arch and replica door of circa 1980 similar to the north door; a 19th-century two-light Perpendicular opening; a blocked double-splay 12th-century semi-circular-headed opening; a 19th-century two-light opening with panel tracery; a 12th-century double-splay semi-circular-headed opening with a recessed doorway with pointed arch below, now blocked; the chancel with flint plinth, a single lancet with a rectangular blocked opening below, and a double lancet.

Interior

The roof dates from 1908 and features symbolic and heraldic bosses, ashlar pieces with frieze, and arch-braced construction from short hammerbeams with standing angels. Wall posts rise from 19th-century stone corbels of heads with wings. A large tie beam with fluted decoration at corbel level runs to the west wall. At the entrance to the chancel stands a 17th-century tie beam and wall posts with quarter-moulded chamfers and lamb's tongue stops; an early 18th-century ten-branch candelabra hangs from the tie beam, with a 19th-century rood above. Similar wall posts exist in the chancel with 18th-century wrought iron braces and tie.

A west gallery, inscribed "ERECTED SEPTEMBER 26th 1841 BY SIR JOHN P BOILEAU", contains an early 19th-century chamber organ with mahogany case.

The font is early 15th-century, octagonal with evangelistic symbols, two flowers, a defaced crucifix, and the Holy Trinity to its faces. It has a deep fluted stem with fleurons and trailing vine to the bowl stem. A cruciform step with a shield to each arm supports the font.

Fittings of 1837 include pine pews with poppyhead bench ends in oak; a three-decker pulpit and eight pew doors in oak with ogee-headed arches of beading. A 13th-century trefoil-headed piscina with shafts has deeply undercut capitals. A reredos comprises late 16th-century Flemish painting on a wood panel depicting the Marriage Feast at Cana.

The east window contains early 15th-century glass to the tracery panels and fragments of 15th-century figure and heraldic glass to the lights, with some Flemish rondels. The north priest's door is blocked, but the exterior is now part of the vestry entrance with stone above embossed "MH/1684". A Royal achievement of George III stands beneath the tower.

The church contains numerous monuments. In the chancel: (1) south wall, an altar tomb with quatrefoil frieze under a four-centred arch, bearing early 16th-century brasses to Sir Thomas Heveningham (died 1499) and his wife Mary (died 15--), showing kneeling heraldic figures with children, scrolls and shields, all gilded with some retaining pigment; (2) floor, two Tournai marble ledger slabs to the Heveningham family dated 1633 and circa 1700, both heraldic; (3) north wall, dated 1678, to Mary Heveningham and her deceased husband (unnamed as he was a regicide), a mural of black marble in a moulded stone surround with flanking black marble Corinthian columns. On a ledge in front are kneeling figures of a man facing a woman with a daughter across a faldstool, and a flying angel with a swaddled child in white marble above the inscription; (4) south wall, an elaborate mural in yellow and grey marble to the Atkyns family (1669–1711), with a grey marble sarcophagus to Edward Atkyns (died 1756); (5) north wall, to Edward Atkins (died 1794) and his son (died 1804), by R. Westmacott (1807), with a column bearing a willow branch and a weeping lady over military insignia; (6) north wall, to Harriet Peach (died 1825), by J. Flaxman, a relief of two flying angels bearing the lady; (7) south wall, to Mary Atkins (died 1829), by E. Gaffin, with two putti below the inscription and an urn above; (8) north wall, to Frances Mary Peach (died 1833), by Willson; (9) east wall, to Nathaniel William Peach (died 1835), by E. Physick, a relief urn and wreath.