Church Of St Peter

ATHELINGTON TM 27 SW 5/5 Church of St Peter 29.7.55 GV II* Parish church. Medieval; restored 1873-4. A small church with continuous nave and chancel, west tower and south porch. Flint rubble with stone dressings. The tower is of knapped flint with an admixture of red brick; brick quoins to the east and to the stair turret. Plaintiled roof. Square unbuttressed tower, largely C15; the top section is missing and there is a pyramidal slated roof crowned by a wind vane. Stair turret to south. Moulded west doorway with late C19 corbel heads. 2-light west window with early C14 tracery but Perpendicular-style head; a different window here is shown on an engraving of 1833 hanging in the church. Above is a small 2-light window with square head. Simple louvred belfry openings. Nave and chancel probably early C14. Side windows in Perpendicular style; original 3-light east window with intersecting Y-tracery and inscription at base. Restored south doorway to nave with late C19 corbel heads. Knapped flint porch of 1873. Interior. C14 scissor-braced rafter roof with collars and ashlar pieces. Moulded cornice, enriched in the chancel with embattling and fleurons. Rood beam in situ, supported by 2 good C14 corbel heads of a king and queen, placed here from elsewhere in the church in 1873. Trefoil-headed piscina with drop-sill sedilia adjacent. C15 octagonal font, the bowl panels shallow-carved with traceried designs, no 2 alike. In the nave, 10 fine poppyhead bench-ends of C15 date, carefully restored in C19. The ends are traceried and there are side buttresses supporting standing figures or heads. 4 similar bench-ends to the east are good C19 copies. At the west end, 2 C15 half-ends. Remainder of benches and other furnishings date largely from late C19.

Listing NGR: TM2103070982