Church Of St Peter

The Church of St Peter is a parish church dating back to the 13th century, with later alterations. It suffered significant fire damage in 1898 and was subsequently extensively rebuilt by J.S. Corder of Ipswich. The church comprises a nave, chancel, south porch, and west tower, constructed of rubble flint, partially covered with old render, and topped with plain tiled roofs. Windows are a mix of styles: 2-light Perpendicular style windows to the nave, 14th-century Decorated style windows to the chancel, including a traceried low-side window and a 3-light east window with reticulated tracery. The largely reconstructed south porch incorporates fragments of an earlier Norman church, and its open roof retains some reused 16th-century moulded timbers. An empty niche with a trefoil head is positioned above the south door. The plain tower has large diagonal buttresses, some faced with large black knapped flints, and a plain parapet with a conical roof. A plain west doorway has a hood mould above. Small quatrefoil windows are set into each face of the middle stage of the tower, and windows with semi-circular arched heads are on each face of the top stage. The upper part of the west face displays the date “1677” in large cast iron figures, potentially indicating the date of the top stage windows. The lower section of the tower and western buttresses were strengthened with ironwork in 1828, as recorded in the diary of Thomas King of Thelnetham, who noted the work was carried out by Mr. Bloomfield of Thelnetham. The interior fittings, including the double hammer-beam roof, are from the post-fire restoration of 1899. A blocked door to the former rood stairs is located beside the pulpit, and remains of a damaged piscina with a cusped head are visible on the south wall of the nave. Six 15th-century poppy-head bench ends survive in the chancel. A particularly noteworthy feature is a late 14th-century pinnacled font cover, octagonal and 12 feet 6 inches high, featuring ornate, much-damaged carving across three tiers, topped with a three-tier pinnacle. The lowest stage incorporates miniature buildings on each face, with windows and doorways populated by small figures.