Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

An Anglican parish church located in Cheverell Magna, founded in the 11th century and substantially rebuilt and extended during the 13th to 15th centuries. The church was restored in 1868 by W.H. Woodman of Reading.

The building is constructed of limestone ashlar with a greensand burr foundation to the tower and a chancel of malmstone and flint, roofed with stone tiles. It comprises a nave with south porch, a chancel containing a 19th-century north vestry, a north chapel, and a west tower.

The chancel is probably 11th century in origin, identifiable by herringbone walling, and contains inserted 13th-century lancets (one on each side), a 14th-century low side window, and a 19th-century three-light east window. The south priest's door is now blocked. The nave features late 14th to early 15th-century square-headed windows of three lights. The south porch, probably added in the early 15th century, has angle buttresses and a four-centred outer doorway.

The west tower dates to the 14th century and possibly incorporates earlier work. Built of limestone with flint panels, it has a tall lower stage that was raised in the 15th century with a bell stage featuring two-light openings and an octagonal stair tower rising above a crenellated parapet. A weathervane surmounts the parapet. The tower has a three-light west window (restored and asymmetrical) with a small door below.

Interior: The 15th-century porch has high side sills and a late 14th-century inner door with pointed arch, along with a trussed rafter roof with knee braces and curved ashlars. Remains of a stoup are visible. The inner porch door is probably 15th century, cross-boarded with clenched studs and fitted with an 18th-century lock. The nave has been rendered and colourwashed (19th century). A 15th to 16th-century barrel vault features moulded wall plates and ribs with stretchers dividing plaster panels; carved bosses mark the intersections. The tower arch is double hollow-chamfered.

The 19th-century chancel arch is of Bath stone, of equal width to the chancel, with attached shafts and capitals. The south chapel has a 14th-century two-bay arcade with a wave-moulded pier incorporating a pig-nosed inner moulding on attached shafts and capitals. The north chapel contains an excellent low-pitched roof divided into square panels with moulded timbers featuring leaf carvings at intersections; those at the west end were altered during restoration in 1699.

The chancel has a three-bay steeply pitched 19th-century open rafter roof on stone corbels, a moulded string course across the east end, and a 14th-century trefoiled piscina with an asymmetrical lobed sink. A moulded corbel projects from the north side, and a low sepulchre or tomb recess is present. Ceiling painting at the west end dates to the 17th century.

Fittings include a 13th-century octagonal font with simple trefoiled arches on a round base and column; a 20th-century pulpit with linenfold panels; 19th-century pews; and a 17th-century altar table with two-by-one arches and pendants on triple columns.

Furniture comprises a 17th-century parish chest in the chapel with linenfold panels and a smaller 18th-century chest.

Monuments are distributed throughout the church. In the nave's south wall are three wall tablets: a white marble tablet on black painted wood to Rev. Robert Atkinson (died 1873); an inset white marble square to Sir James Stonehouse, rector (died 1795); and white marble on slate to Sir Alexander Barnett, curate (died 1857). The chancel contains a white marble tablet with cornice and urn to Walter Post, rector (died 1772), and on its south side a framed limestone tablet divided vertically commemorating Mary Hayes (died 1720), Elizabeth Hayes (died 1726), and Rev. John Hayes (died 1731).

The north chapel contains a fine wall monument in limestone and veined marble to James Townsend (died 1730) and Katherine his wife (died 1737), featuring a raised inscribed tablet with draped baldacchino, flanking flute columns, arched cornice, coloured and mantled arms, and flaming torches, below which is a gadrooned table supported on brackets with relief foliage sprays on the apron. Also in the chapel is a draped shield tablet of marble on a shaped grey marble field to Ann Long (died 1792).

Two external wall monuments exist on the church's exterior. On the south nave wall is an 18th-century limestone monument with a raised panel, flanking panelled pilasters, hollow cornice, and triangular gable with fluted apron on bracket (unidentified). On the east wall of the porch is an 18th-century limestone tablet with beaded arris and lined inscription panel with moulded cornice (unidentified dedication, death date of 175-). A lightly incised inscription on the south nave wall with arched head commemorates John Applegath and Mary (died 1717 and 1718).

A church clock, reputed to be of 1629, is also present.