Church Of Saint Peter

The Church of St Peter is a building of considerable age and historical importance, with origins dating back to around 1200. Significant alterations and additions occurred in the 13th century, the 15th century with the addition of a north aisle and west tower, and restorations in approximately 1855 and 1879. A further restoration followed the fire of 1959.

The church is constructed of uncoursed rubble stone, with ashlar stone to the south transept, coursed squared stone to the chancel, and roofs of copper sheet (nave), lead (south transept and north aisle), and old plain tiles (chancel). It comprises a six-bay nave, a two-bay chancel, a north aisle, a south transept, and a west tower. The south porch has a two-centred archway framed by octagonal half-columns, leading into the nave. Inside are stone benches and an 18th-century roof. The porch doorway has a two-centred arch, with a dated (1700) six-panel door. 19th-century Perpendicular style windows are present on the nave. A 20th-century Perpendicular tracery window is located at the end of the transept. The transept has lancet windows on its sides and a round-arched doorway leading to the chancel, which also has paired lancets with hood moulds and a triple lancet window to its east end. The north aisle has an east-end window with 19th-century Perpendicular tracery, and a two-light stone mullioned window with cusped lights and a hood mould. The west tower features a four-centred arched doorway with quatrefoil spandrels, a plank door, a three-light Perpendicular window, and a window with a two-centred arched head above. There are also small louvred openings to each side of the tower's top and a stair turret with slit windows.

Inside the church, the chancel features a roof with arch-braced collar trusses, cusped struts, wind braces, a 19th-century piscina and sedillia, choirstalls, and a lancet window leading to the vestry. A two-centred chancel arch is supported by curved corbels. The south transept has a roof with wood tracery on stone corbels carved with winged angels, a 15th-century alabaster reredos, and a two-centred transept arch on carved stone corbels. A lean-to roof covers the north aisle. A Perpendicular north arcade comprises four four-centred arches resting on shafts with a distinctive profile. The nave has a 20th-century king-post roof, a 17th-century hexagonal pulpit, a Romanesque font, and some 15th-century pews. The chancel has stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops.