Old Church Of St Peter

OLD CHURCH OF ST PETER

A parish church in Pembury with a Norman nave and chancel, a 14th-century tower, porch and nave roof. The chancel was substantially rebuilt in 1867 by R. Wheeler of Brenchley. The nave and older masonry of the chancel are constructed of sandstone rubble with ashlar quoins, while the remainder is coursed sandstone ashlar. The building has a red tile roof, and the tower spire is shingled and topped with an old, possibly 18th-century, weathercock.

The church comprises a nave with south porch, a lower chancel with a 19th-century lean-to vestry on the north side, and a west tower.

The relatively short, single-stage west tower has large diagonal buttresses and is topped by its shingled spire. The belfry is lit by quatrefoil lights. The west doorway features a two-centred arch with moulded jambs and hoodmould, above which is a three-light window of ogee-arch headed lancets.

The south side of the nave is dominated by a gabled porch with a two-centred outer arch featuring a double-chamfered arch ring and hoodmould. Above this are triple lancets with slit windows in the side walls. The roof is constructed of old collared common rafter couples, though the floor is of 19th-century tile. The south doorway, probably Norman, is a plain round-headed arch now containing a 19th-century panelled door. To the right of the porch, the lower part of a Norman round-headed lancet is visible. Further right is a restored square-headed three-light window with Perpendicular tracery and hoodmould.

The south side of the chancel consists of two bays: the left has two cinquefoil-headed lancets, while the right has a two-light window with Y-tracery, originally extending further but now cut by a small 19th-century arch-headed priest's door. The south side and east end have diagonal buttresses, many enriched with carved armorial bearings including arms of the Hardreshull and Colepeper families; some buttresses are replacements of 14th-century originals. The east window is a 19th-century three-light window with decorated tracery and hoodmould.

The north side of the chancel has a similar two-light window and a triple lancet window. The north side of the nave features a three-light Perpendicular window matching that on the south side, while the west bay has two tall lancets.

The interior's principal feature is the splendid 14th-century roof over the nave, spanning three bays with moulded tie-beams and arch braces. The spandrels are carved with open trefoils and quatrefoils. Tall crown posts support collared common rafters with soulaces. The chancel roof is 19th-century, comprising four bays of boarded six-sided arch with chamfered ribs and purlins. Both the chancel and tower arches, probably 14th-century, have chamfered double arch rings on moulded imposts. The walls are plastered and the floor is mostly red and black 19th-century tile, with encaustic tiles in the chancel. Two notable graveslabs commemorate William Amhurst (died 1663) and Richard Amhurst (died 1664). The chancel also contains 19th-century sedilia.

The furnishings are predominantly 19th-century. The main centre part of the reredos has been removed, but flanking end parts remain, combining symbols of the Evangelists. There is a brass altar rail with tubular standards and leafy brackets, plain pine stalls, and an oak drum pulpit on a stone base with open sides featuring Gothic arcades. A contemporary brass eagle lectern and plain pine benches are also present, along with a stone font in Perpendicular style.

The oldest memorial is a brass plaque in the north wall commemorating seven-year-old Elizabeth Rowe (died 1607). Several memorials have been reset in the tower, including those of John Whitaker (died 1802), Lord Spencer Churchill (died 1746), and Henry Woodgate (died 1818). The nave contains a large Gothic-style monument to Lydia Shaw-Woodgate (died 1909), carved with praying angels.