Parish Church Of Saint Peter And Saint Paul

The parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul largely dates to the 15th century, with some 17th-century fabric in the north chapel walls and ceiling. A significant rebuilding occurred in 1857 under Sir George Gilbert Scott, involving the chancel, nave arches to the north and south chapels, the addition of a south aisle and arcade, and the insertion of a new west window. Further work in 1873, overseen by George Gilbert Scott, junior, included the removal of the original tower, the construction of a north aisle, a north porch, a west tower, and vestry accommodation.

The church is built of rubble and banded stone walls with dressed stone quoins. It has plain clay-tile roofs with stone gable copings topped with crosses. The chancel has two bays and a three-sided east end, featuring angle shafts and foliage capitals, two-light windows with plate tracery, and a single-light apse with a trefoiled head under a lancet. Windows in the south aisle are of similar form. The north chapel windows are of late Perpendicular style, likely dating to the 17th century. The north-west tower, modeled on Charminster church tower, has a lower basement storey, with a double plinth, set-back buttresses, and six stages. The bell openings are three-stage and incorporate a central standard extending to full height, with openwork crenellated parapets, corner panelled finials, and crocketed pinnacles. A north porch has open pointed entrances on its north and west sides, with diagonal buttressing.

Inside, the chancel arch is elaborately moulded, with marble shafts. The chancel roof features exposed trussed rafters and diagonal boarding. The nave roof is divided into three main bays with arch-braced principals and cross-trussed rafters, the south aisle and chapel have double-pitched roofs of a similar construction. The tower serves as a baptistery, housing a marble font with a square, tapering bowl, a central stem and corner columns. A large, gilded, wooden font cover with a crocketed pinnacle stands above the font. A stone screen and iron grille enclose the north side. Stencilled designs and texts decorate the ceiling, which is divided into 16 painted and decorated panels. A tall belfry was designed to accommodate a carillon of 35 bells, which were not replaced after 1940. A stained-glass window in the south aisle, dating to 1882, depicts six angels against a dark blue background. A small piece of Saxon interlace is carved into the north wall of the chancel. An attached vestry block to the south-west incorporates Perpendicular detailing.