Church Of St Peter

The Church of St Peter is an Anglican parish church with origins in the late 12th century, and significantly altered in the 15th century. Early 17th century repairs were made, along with the upper stage of the tower, and the church underwent extensive restoration in 1875. A further addition, the organ chamber, was built in 1897. The church is constructed of rubble, with freestone dressings, slate roofs, raised coped verges and crested clay ridge tiles. It consists of a west tower, nave, north porch, chancel, and organ chamber, largely in the Perpendicular style.

The tower is of three stages. The first stage has diagonal buttresses, a canted stair turret projecting between the tower and nave, and a small west door with a canted flat arch and a two-light, chamfered mullion window dated 1634. The second stage includes a cusped two-light window with heavy louvres to the north, a blocked single light to the east, and two-light chamfered windows, vaguely pointed, south and west, all contemporary with the third stage. The third stage features a large round-headed window with a raised architrave and louvres on each side, topped by a thin, embattled parapet and four pyramidal pinnacles with vanes.

On the south side of the nave are two two-light windows under hoodmoulds, flanking a blocked round-headed door with a moulded frame and a plaque dated 1627. The north side also has two similar windows (the western one slightly thinner and with an ogival head), flanking a gabled north porch. The pointed outer door of the porch has a large chamfered moulding and the inner round-headed door has a heavy chamfer and vestigial scallop capitals. The buttressed chancel is off-centre and has a single window to the north and a three-light east window of 1875. A lean-to organ chamber to the south has an east window similar to the rest of the church, and includes the relocated head of a former priest’s door.

The interior is plain with a narrow tower arch and off-set chancel arch. The fittings include a 12th century font, which has been scraped, and a Jacobean altar table. Monuments present in the chancel include those to Counsell (1671), Wadden (1682), and Boulter (1782). The Counsell monument is slate with a frieze, apron, and crest. The Wadden monument features text within a cartouche flanked by pilasters with 'momenti mori', carrying an entablature with a crest and an apron with a putto. The Boulter monument is of marble and features text below a draped urn, by Brewer of Box.