Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This is a parish church built primarily in the 15th century, though it incorporates earlier and later additions. The oldest parts date to the 12th century (north chapel), with an early 13th-century north porch. The 16th century saw the addition of another north porch, the rebuilding of the spire, and the addition of the south-west corner of the south aisle (now used as a choir vestry) to house the Town Gun. An 18th-century south porch was added later. The building is constructed of Isle of Wight stone rubble with a stone spire and tiled roofs.

The church comprises a nave with north and south aisles, a chancel with north and south chapels, north and south porches, and a west tower. The arcades run continuously from east to west without division between the chancel and nave. The west tower rises in three stages with offset buttresses, topped by a stone spire with weathervane. The bell stage features pierced stone screens to the south and wooden screens on the other sides. A restored modern cusped window lights the first stage, and the west entrance has an arched doorcase with hood moulding.

The south aisle and chapel have gables with saddlestones. The west window contains two cinquefoil heads, as does the westernmost window on the south side. The south doorcase is arched with dogtooth mouldings and engaged columns. Adjacent to the east is a Perpendicular window with a wide arch containing four cusped heads and quatrefoil spandrels. Two triple cinquefoil-headed light windows follow, the left one featuring hood mouldings and divided by a round-headed door. The east window has three cinquefoil-headed lights. The 18th-century south porch is gabled with a round-headed arch, keystone, and impost blocks bearing the initials M.B. The nave's east window contains three cinquefoil-headed lights.

The north aisle and chapel have gable ends with cross-shaped saddlestones and offset buttresses. The south aisle contains a blocked 12th-century round-headed doorway and lancet window, followed by four Perpendicular windows (three with two lights and one with three lights), all with cinquefoil-headed lights and hood moulding. The early 13th-century north porch is gabled with a pointed-headed arch and dripstone.

Interior

The west tower is vaulted with a tierceron star vault. The nave comprises three bays, with the chancel containing two bays sharing the same arcade on the north side. This arcade is interrupted by an original 13th-century stone pulpit featuring an arched doorway. The pulpit's wooden tester is dated 1620. A 17th-century hourglass is attached to a column nearby. The nave roof contains some 16th-century tie beams but is largely 19th-century work with boarding and arched braces, including 19th-century dormers. Seven early 19th-century circular wall plaques are visible.

A brass commemorates Richard Bethel, who died in 1518, positioned to the left of the altar.

Over the north aisle porch is a wall painting dating to approximately 1440 depicting scenes from the Life of Saint Christopher. The central figure shows the saint wading through water amongst ships and fishes. To the left, the saint is shown riding with the Devil, and later renouncing the Devil for Christ. To the right is a martyrdom scene with arrows. The roofs are primarily 19th-century, boarded with arched braces and through purlins, though some original tie beams remain.

The north chapel contains three fine monuments to the Leigh family of North Court on the north wall. The monument to John Leigh (died 1629) and his baby son features two kneeling figures before lecterns in an architectural surround with Composite columns and a cornice with alternating glyphs and paterae above an armorial shield. The plinth has Tuscan half columns with an inscription flanked by shields. A central marble wall tablet commemorates John Leigh (died 1688) with elaborate cornice and shield flanked by garlands and scrolls. A stone wall monument to Lady Elizabeth Leigh (died 1619) features a strapwork inscription panel with a central winged head, a cornice supported by Composite columns, a central shield, end putti with instruments of death, and a plinth with shields and drapery. Above the altar is a brass plate commemorating Barnaby Leigh (died 1615 and 1619) with his two wives standing together holding his heart, surrounded by scrolls and inscriptions.

The south aisle chapel contains a piscina with a square drum and an early Renaissance carved panel from the Netherlands depicting the Flagellation of Christ. The roof has 16th-century tie beams but 19th-century boarded ceilings with arched braces.

An octagonal stone font is fitted with a Jacobean strapwork front cover topped with a dove finial and a hoist inscribed "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him. Luke 3 Verse 22". The church contains 17th-century oak benches with early 19th-century poppy head bench ends.