Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This is a parish church of late 15th to early 16th century date, though the tower may have 14th century origins. The building was thoroughly renovated in 1864. It is constructed of coursed blocks of red sandstone conglomerate for the tower, nave and chancel, with the aisle and porch built of grey-coloured chert rubble. Some evidence of original purple-coloured volcanic detail remains, though most architectural detail has been replaced with Salcombe and Beerstone ashlar. The roof is of red tile, including bands of scallop-shaped tiles.

The plan comprises a nave with lower chancel, south aisle and south porch, and a west tower. A 19th century lean-to vestry with chimneystack has been added to the north side of the chancel.

The tower is plain and unbuttressed with an embattled parapet and a square stair turret projecting from the north-east corner. The belfry contains twin trefoil-headed lancets. On the west side is a 2-centred arch Beerstone doorway with moulded surround, above which sits a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and hoodmould. Windows throughout the church feature Perpendicular tracery, mostly with plain hoodmoulds. The gable ends of the nave, chancel, aisle and porch have shaped kneelers, coping and apex crosses. The aisle is furnished with set back buttresses. The 4-bay south side is interrupted by a gabled porch left of centre, which has a 2-centred outer arch with moulded surround and hoodmould with label stops carved as human heads. The porch roof dates to the 19th century. The south door is a Beerstone Tudor arch with moulded surround, above which stands a volcanic ashlar image bracket.

Internally, the nave, chancel and aisle have 19th century open roofs of arch-braced trusses. The tower arch is plain and round-headed. A 4-bay Beerstone arcade separates the nave from the aisle, with moulded piers (Pevsner's type B) and capitals carved with foliage including heraldic devices. The eastern arcade arch overlaps the chancel and is thicker than the others; its pier is pierced by a trefoil-headed lancet and forms the respond of the chancel arch, which is contemporary and identical to the arcade arches. The arcade's eastern respond contains an image bracket. A large 19th century Beerstone Tudor arch connects the chancel to the vestry. The nave and aisle have flag floors, while the chancel has a 19th century tile floor. The walls are plastered.

The furnishings are predominantly 19th century in date. These include the altar table, an oak communion rail on wrought iron standards, Gothic style oak stalls and prayer desk, a Beerstone drum pulpit enriched with marble and featuring a blind arcade with painted Evangelists, an oak eagle lectern, a cast iron rood beam, and pine box pews. The Perpendicular style oak tower screen dates to 1911. A 15th century Beerstone font survives, featuring an octagonal bowl with quatrefoil panels containing fourleaf motifs and carved flowers beneath the bowl. The principal memorial is that to the Reverend Simon Pidsley (died 1821) in the north aisle; a First World War memorial stands in the nave. The church contains some 19th century stained glass.

The church forms part of a group with the nearby Uplowman Court Farmhouse and its associated farm buildings.