Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul

This Grade I listed church in Lingfield is a substantial medieval building with a complex building history. The 14th-century tower and sections of walling to the south and west survive from the earliest phase, but the remainder of the church was substantially rebuilt in 1431 by Sir Reginald Cobham. A vestry was added in 1490, and the building underwent restoration in 1846–47 and again in the 20th century.

The walls are constructed of random coursed sandstone to the tower and older sections, with larger square coursed sandstone blocks used for the rebuilt portions. Original firestone dressings to windows and doors are largely replaced with sandstone, except around the doors to the undercroft. The roof is covered with Horsham slabs with some plain tile patching, and the tower carries a wooden shingled broach spire.

The plan comprises a nave with a north aisle and a shorter south aisle, an eastern chancel with a north Lady Chapel, a chapel and vestry to the south, and a southwest tower. The foundations are stone with offset buttresses, diagonal on the east and west ends. A half-octagonal rood stair turret projects from the north aisle wall at the junction of nave and chancel. Mass dials survive on the south wall.

The windows are in the 15th-century Perpendicular style with stone tracery. The large east window and the west window of the north aisle are two-centred with hood moulding ending in carved human heads and grotesque stops, with a carved head at the apex of the arch. The tower rises in three stages with a quatrefoil band at the top and large angle buttresses. It has a trefoil-headed louvred opening and lancets to each stage; the south door to the ground floor stage has a 19th-century renewed surround, and the west doors are under a pointed arched surround.

The interior contains four-bay nave arcades on piers of quatrefoil section, with pointed arches beneath hood mouldings. A similar three-bay arcade serves the chancel and chapels, with the third bay to the south blocked. A four-centred chancel arch rests on the westernmost piers of the aisle arcades and forms the centre bay of a three-bay arcade running north–south. Flattened barrel vault ceilings rest on moulded wall plates.

Some 15th-century glass fragments survive in the south chancel window; the remainder of the stained glass is 19th-century.

The church contains a fine set of late medieval fittings. The font is octagonal with a stone bowl on a panelled stem decorated with quatrefoils and human heads, and a crocketed ogee wooden cover. An octagonal panelled wooden pulpit features arcade decoration. 15th-century screens between the chancel and chapels have single-light ogee-headed panels with crocket decoration. Fifteen-century misericords survive with eight seats remaining, decorated with a bishop, the Cobham arms, a rose, and two heads.

The monuments are of considerable importance. In the north chancel chapel, a table tomb in the northeast corner is reputedly dedicated to Sir Thomas Cobham and Lady Anne Cobham, constructed of grey and brown stone with panelled sides containing blank shields and a flat lid. The northeast wall holds a marble tablet to Anthony Farringdon (died 1730), a rectangular tablet with flanking scrolls, crowning urn, and floral carving in the apron. A table tomb on the north wall commemorates Harold, Second Lord Cobham, Baron of Starborough (died 1403), in firestone with a Purbeck marble top, panelled sides, and an inlaid brass figure on the lid, with a wall monument above. Above stands a monument to Elizabeth Farringdon (died 1743), a grey and white stone aedicule tablet with flanking Doric pilasters, a crowning pediment, scrolls, and a gadrooned base.

On the south wall of the north chancel chapel is a table tomb to Reginald, First Baron Cobham of Starborough (1361), in Caen stone with a firestone effigy. It features billeted decoration over painted quatrefoil panels on a moulded plinth. The painted and gilt effigy lies in armour with feet resting on a Saracen head and head on a helmet; flanking angels and a railed surround complete the composition.

In the chancel stands a table tomb to Sir Reginald, Third Lord Cobham of Starborough, and his wife Anne Bardolph (circa 1450), in firestone with alabaster effigies. The quatrefoil panelled sides rest on a moulded plinth with painted shields. Two effigies are present: Lord Cobham in plate armour with feet on a lion and head on a Moor's head, and Lady Cobham in widow's attire with a wyvern at her feet and angels attending her head.

The south wall of the chancel contains baroque cartouches. That dedicated to Francis Howard (died 1695) is in marble with fine swags and garlands and cherubs in the apron. A further cartouche to Mary Howard (died 1718) follows similar styling.

The church contains reputedly the finest set of brasses in Surrey. In the chancel are two half-length figures to John Swetecote (died 1469) and James Veldon (died 1458). Further brasses commemorate an unknown girl (circa 1440), John Wyehe (died 1445), and John Knoyll (died 1503). In the north chapel are brasses to Lady Eleanor Culpepper (died 1420), shown as a female figure under a canopy, a lady of the Cobham family (15th-century), Katerina Stoket (died 1420), and John Hadresham (1417), a figure in armour. An incised figure made up of encaustic tiles, now on the north wall but formerly on the floor, dates from circa 1530.