Church Of St Peter

CHURCH OF ST PETER

This is a church built in 1831 by an architect whose name is not recorded. The core structure remains substantially of this date, though the building has been significantly extended in subsequent periods. In 1876 the church underwent major alterations including reseating and the addition of a new chancel; the initial plans for this work were drawn by S S Stallwood of Folkestone and Reading, with final plans prepared by Bingen and Reeve. Further additions followed: a north porch was added in 1901, a northwest clergy vestry in 1952, a southwest choir vestry in 1953, rooms at the west end before 1991, a south aisle around 1991, and a church centre at the west end in 1992. The building is constructed of knapped flint with yellow brick details and freestone dressings, with slate roofs throughout.

The church comprises a nave, west tower, apsed chancel, south aisle, north porch, north organ chamber and vestry, northwest and southwest vestries, and a church centre to the west of the main structure. The original 1830s church survives in its nave structure and west tower, though the windows in both are probably from the 1876 restoration. The tall three-stage tower has diagonal buttresses on its lower two stages. The west face features a doorway in the lower stage, a Y-tracery window in the second stage, and single-light uncusped windows in the belfry stage; the tower is crowned with an embattled parapet. The nave, with its original shallow pitch roof, is divided into four bays with shallow buttresses with offsets on the north side. The 1876 chancel has a three-sided apse with lancet windows in each of its faces, and below these windows is a decorative band of yellow brick forming lozenges and squares. The south aisle added around 1991 respects the architecture of the 19th-century church through its use of materials and Y-tracery windows. The vestries of the 1950s are constructed entirely of brick with plain detailing and windows with plain mullions. The large brick church centre has low slated roofs with a glazed skylight and triangular-headed windows that do not attempt to echo the architecture of the earlier church.

Internally, the segmental plaster ceiling of the nave and the arch to the tower survive from the original 1830s church. The arch to the chancel is continuously moulded and belongs to the 1876 restoration. On the south side is a four-bay arcade contemporary with the addition of the south aisle, which is Gothic in character but distinctly unmedievai in its details, notably in the treatment of the circular pier heads with pairs of rings beneath square projecting abaci; the arches are four-centre.

The principal fixtures include an octagonal Purbeck marble font, the oldest feature of the church, with pairs of slightly recessed round arches on each face of the shallow bowl and a central drum support surrounded by eight plain shafts. The font dates from the 12th or more likely the early 13th century, though it was purchased in 1875 and came from the ancient church of St Mary Magdalene in Canterbury. Legend claims it was consecrated by Archbishop Alphege in 1010. A very fine Stuart royal arms in high relief hangs above the north door. The east end is panelled with a timber memorial reredos dated to 1914, which has carved tracery detail. A number of stained glass windows date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All pre-20th-century seating has been removed.

In the churchyard to the southeast of the church stands a war memorial cross.

The church originated in moves to rebuild the old church, which began with a meeting on 23 February 1829. The new church was dedicated at the end of 1831.