Church Of St Peter And St Paul

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a parish church with origins in the 12th century. The chancel and south aisle date to the 13th century, the chancel was rebuilt in the early 14th century, and mid-14th century side chapels were added to the west chancel bays. The north aisle and tower are from the 19th century. A substantial restoration took place in 1886, impacting the north arcade, part of the south arcade, the chancel arch, the west aisle bays, the tower, and the south porch. The church is constructed of flint with stone dressings, has a plain tile roof, a timber upper part to the tower, and a shingled spire.

The plan incorporates a 13th/14th century chancel with 14th century side chapels extending from a 13th/14th century nave and a large west tower with a timber belfry and spire, and a south porch to the east. The east end of the chancel features an early 14th century three-light reticulated window with a hood mould and diagonal buttresses. Within the chancel, a wide 14th century trefoiled window is on the east side, and a mid-14th century square-headed two-light trefoiled window is to the west. A pointed, chamfered door is set between these windows on the south side, with a reset corbel head above it. The chapels each have a late 14th century square-headed three-light trefoiled window with a label, containing some old glass.

The south aisle has six small, square-headed, two-light trefoiled windows, three from the 14th century, one being reset in an old doorway, and three from the 19th century. The north aisle has four 15th century windows, largely repaired, and a 19th century gabled porch with a pointed door and label. A 19th century pointed door rises to the sill of a 19th century window similar to those in the aisles, with western windows matching the east. The tower has a tapered, shingled middle stage, a belfry with four round-headed, louvred bell openings on each side, and a short broach spire.

Inside the chancel, the east window has a splayed arch, and image brackets are positioned on either side, below a square recess with a 20th century timber door. A 1736 monument to the Needham family is located in the north-east chapel; it is made of marble with console brackets supporting a sill, an inscribed panel, Doric columns, a supporting entablature, and a broken segmental pediment with a cartouche. To the west is a low-set 14th century seven-foil ogee-moulded recess containing a slab with a figure in low relief under a trefoiled canopy, with a Gothic inscription around the edge. The west bay has double, chamfered arches dying into the jambs on the north and south sides, with a 1729 plaque commemorating Luke Sutton above the north jamb. The chancel arch is 13th century, rebuilt in the 19th century, with two chamfered orders on simple round capitals and shafts. To the south-east is a 19th century stone pulpit.

The five-bay arcade is largely 13th century, restored in the 19th century, with the east bay and arch of the next being 13th century, of two chamfered orders with simple round capitals and columns. Medieval graffiti is visible on the east column. The south aisle includes 17th century altar rails of turned balusters and moulded rails. The north chapel has splayed rear arches. Remains of a 15th century canopy in stone—a pointed arch with a battlemented cornice—are found in the north-east corner. The north arcade is a 19th-century copy of the south. The church retains a 15th century principal purlin aisle roof. A pointed north door incorporates reused inscribed stones. The nave roof is plastered, but below it are three 17th century moulded tiebeams. An octagonal Purbeck marble font with arcaded sides and a central stem, supported by eight smaller shafts, is located in the west bay.