Church Of St Peter And St Paul

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a parish church largely of the 12th century, with extensions from the 13th century. The 15th-century tower was restored in 1874 by Talbot Bury at a cost of £2,254. The church is constructed of flint and rubble with a plain tiled roof. It comprises a chancel, a north chapel, a nave, a north aisle, a western tower, a south-east vestry, and a north porch.

The two-stage tower has a plinth, string course, and cornice, topped with a spirelet and weather cock. It features a double hollow moulded west doorway and trefoiled lancet windows. The north porch was rebuilt in 1874, retaining a 14th-century hollow and roll-moulded doorway and a 12th-century north doorway with a billet outer mould and scalloped shafts. A separate entry leads from the porch to the north chapel, which has been separately roofed from the chancel since 1984.

Most of the windows are from the 19th century, with the exception of one 12th-century lancet in the nave, one 13th-century lancet in the chancel, and one 15th-century double window in the nave. A flying buttress cum chimney connects the vestry to the chancel.

The interior features heavily restored simple chamfered arches on abaci to the north aisle, chancel, and north chapel. A hollow chamfered 15th-century tower arch has an inner jamb restored in the 19th century. There are six steps up to the west door, and a small door high up in the nave gable. All fittings are from the 19th century; the piscina and sedile apparently reproduce original mouldings. A stone coffin lid, dating from around 1300 and featuring a Templar cross in relief, is now located in the north porch.

The church contains several panels of stained glass. Four panels are in the chancel and north chapel, originating from Switzerland and presented to the church in 1852 by Mr. Halford, likely from Unterwalden. These depict Pharaoh’s dream, Jacob and his sons, Joseph receiving his brothers, and Joseph’s release from prison, all dated 1663. The north chapel glass is probably German, dating from 1608 to 1614, and shows the Annunciation, the village of Rolfenbach with the Virgin and child, the Adoration of the Magi (bearing the arms of Swiss cantons), and the flight into Egypt. Fragments of glass are also located in the vestry. A crucifixion scene in the east window was created by Martin Travers after World War II.