Church Of Saint Peter

Parish church with a 15th-century tower. The 15th-century nave and aisle were rebuilt in 1868, incorporating some 15th-century work, and the chancel was rebuilt with a porch (possibly replacing an earlier structure) and vestry also added in 1868. The restoration and rebuilding were possibly undertaken by Gould of Barnstaple. The building is constructed of dressed stone with limestone and granite ashlar dressings to the tower. The north side of the nave, chancel and vestry are of 19th-century snecked dressed stone. The roofs are gable-ended and covered with Welsh slate, with separate coverings over the nave and aisle.

Plan and Development

The church consists of a 19th-century three-bay nave and south aisle with a south porch in the first bay from the west, all restored and largely rebuilt in a 15th-century Gothic style in 1868. The porch appears to be entirely circa 1868 but might have replaced an earlier structure. The two-bay chancel was rebuilt in 1868 in a Lancet Gothic style, possibly replacing a 13th-century chancel, with a north vestry of 1868 which also became an organ chamber when that instrument was inserted in 1906. The west tower is 15th-century.

Exterior

The three-stage tower has a hollow-chamfered plinth, diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets, string courses with chamfered offsets to each stage, and a tall battlemented parapet with chamfered copings and square corner piers with crocketed pinnacles. The belfry openings are square-headed and louvred, each of two lights with chamfered mullion and reveals and a hoodmould. A small chamfered one-light pointed-arched window is set in the second stage to the south. The 19th-century first-stage west window, probably a restoration of a 15th-century window, has three ogee cinquefoil-headed lights with panelled tracery, hollow-chamfered reveals, a returned hoodmould and a dressed stone arch above. Below this is a 15th-century continuously-moulded arched west doorway with a 19th-century returned hoodmould, dressed stone arch above, and a pair of probable early 20th-century plank doors. The tower plinth returns to the ground each side of the doorway. Two small chamfered rectangular windows light the stair in the north-west corner of the tower. Cresswell refers to some carved initials on the dripstones of the tower windows (SF and WB: WW) but these were not noted at the time of survey in January 1988.

The south aisle has buttresses, diagonal at the corners, with chamfered offsets, and parapeted gable ends with shaped kneelers, coping and a cross at the apex to the east. Two square-headed windows have three ogee cinquefoil-headed lights with panelled tracery and returned hoodmoulds with carved square stops. Segmental dressed-stone relieving arches are set above each window. A possibly 13th or 14th-century continuously-chamfered pointed-arched south doorway to the left has a dressed stone arch and a 19th-century plank door with large decorative wrought-iron strap hinges. The 19th-century south porch has diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets and a parapeted gable with shaped kneelers, coping and a cross at the apex. The entrance features a chamfered dressed-stone pointed archway with a returned ashlar hoodmould. A 19th-century lantern is positioned above the entrance on twisted wrought-iron brackets. The interior of the porch has a 19th-century encaustic-tiled floor and a 19th-century wooden roof with a hollow-chamfered wall plate and collar trussed rafters.

The west end of the south aisle has a window of three ogee cinquefoil-headed lights with panelled tracery, hollow-chamfered reveals, a returned hoodmould and a dressed-stone arch above. The east end of the south aisle has a window with three cinquefoil-headed lights, a hoodmould with carved square stops and a dressed-stone arch. The nave has a chamfered plinth, buttresses with chamfered offsets and a parapeted gable end to the east with shaped kneeler, coping and a cross at the apex. Three square-headed windows have three ogee cinquefoil-headed lights with tracery and hoodmoulds with carved square stops, some carved with monograms "NH" and "AH".

The chancel has a chamfered plinth, angle buttresses with chamfered offsets and a parapeted gable end with shaped kneelers, coping and a cross at the apex. Tiled ridge cresting runs along the roof. Two south windows consist of short paired chamfered lancets which have hoodmoulds with richly-carved foliate stops. The east end has a string course carried around the flanking buttresses and stepped up to the cill of stepped triple chamfered lancets which have hoodmoulds with richly-carved foliate stops. The lower parts of the lancets are blind and inscribed "REBUILT 1868 RESTORED".

The vestry has a chamfered plinth and a parapeted gable end to the north with shaped kneelers and coping. An integral ashlar stack at the apex of the gable has chamfered corners and a hollow-chamfered cornice to the projecting cap. A ridge vent with a tented cap is also present. The square-headed north window has two cinquefoil-headed lights and a hoodmould with square stops carved with monograms. A segmental dressed-stone relieving arch is set above. A chamfered Caernarvon-arched east doorway has runout stops, the left-hand spandrel with the carved initials "I.P", the right-hand spandrel with the carved initials "E.P.C." and a 19th-century plank door with decorative strap hinges. 19th-century cast-iron guttering, rainwater heads and downpipes, probably of 1868, are present throughout.

Interior

The chancel is a complete and fine High Victorian example with an elaborate decorative scheme and fittings. The chancel arch consists of a continuous hollow chamfer with bar stops and a moulded inner arch springing from short wall columns with carved foliate capitals and corbels. A hoodmould with carved foliate stops completes the arch. Painted decoration on the wall above the arch, possibly onto canvas, includes a painted inscription "O PRAISE THE LORD OF HEAVEN" on the left-hand side and "PRAISE HIM IN THE HEIGHT" on the right-hand side.

Three stone steps lead up to the chancel which has a patterned glazed-tiled floor and two sanctuary steps. A moulded string course runs around the walls of the chancel, carried over the north door as a hoodmould, with carved stops. The triple east lancets have Purbeck marble nook shafts with moulded bases and capitals and shaft rings, hollow-chamfered jambs, rear arches with dogtooth ornament and hoodmoulds with carved foliate stops. Cresswell says that the lancets are old, with later nook shafts, but the windows appear to be completely 19th-century, although possibly renewed. The two south windows have Purbeck shafts with moulded bases and capitals and shaft rings, hollow-chamfered jambs, rear arches with dogtooth ornament and hoodmoulds with carved foliate stops.

A chamfered-arched piscina with carved leaf decoration above has a reset old granite bowl. A moulded trefoiled-arched recess, possibly an aumbry, is located to the north with carved crockets and carved foliate end stops. A chamfered Caernarvon-arched vestry doorway has trefoiled-circle panels in the spandrels. The string course is carried over the doorway as a hoodmould.

Above the doorway is the May memorial, consisting of a large marble moulded trefoil panel with dogtooth ornament, carved crockets and a painted and gilded base consisting of a carved stone band supported on short Purbeck marble colonnettes at each end with moulded bases and capitals. The inscription commemorates the Reverend Samuel May (died 22nd February 1782), the Reverend William Turner (died 7th October 1801) and Martha his wife (died 23rd December 1818), and other members of the May and Blarkmore families.

The three-bay roof consists of chamfered arched-braced collar trusses, including trusses against the end walls, pairs of purlins, ridge-piece and ashlar pieces. The arched-bracing springs from carved angle corbels. The corbels supporting the end trusses have other carved ornament, including a monogram (S.W.) and St Peter's crossed keys (S.E.). The roof is painted and gilded, including grisaille ornament on the underside of the trusses and on the wall plate.

The chancel walls have elaborate painted decoration, mainly grisaille, including stencilled fleur-de-lys ornament, vine trails painted onto two bands, probably leather, and painted spandrels between roof corbels. The east wall has a painted inscription below the arched bracing of the end truss: "WHOSO EATETH MY FLESH AND DRINKETH MY BLOOD HATH ETERNAL LIFE AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY". A gilded and painted band, probably leather, above the string course, has a painted inscription flanking the east window: "HOLY HOLY HOLY" on the left-hand side and "LORD GOD OF HOSTS" on the right-hand side. A painted and gilded band runs above the east window.

The 15th-century granite three-bay aisle arcade has Pevsner type-A piers, carved limestone capitals and moulded four-centred arches. A blocked 15th-century granite doorway, probably formerly leading to a rood loft, is positioned to the left of the east window of the south aisle with a moulded depressed arch and panelled spandrels. The jambs of the east window of the south aisle extend below the cill. A large image bracket is set to the right of the window and a small image bracket to the left. A chamfered ogee-arched piscina in the south wall of the aisle has a segmental bowl, the bowl possibly 19th-century. The south windows have splayed jambs and segmental rear arches. The south doorway has chamfered jambs and a segmental-pointed rear arch.

The tall 15th-century granite tower arch has two chamfers dying into the jambs. The west window has a hollow-chamfered rear arch and the west doorway has a depressed rear arch. The doorway to the tower stair has a hollow-chamfered arch, with a 15th-century granite head and 19th-century limestone jambs, and a 19th-century plank door with decorative wrought-iron strap hinges.

The roofs date from 1868, with three-and-a-half bays to the nave and three bays to the chancel. The nave roof has arched-braced collar trusses springing from stone corbels and secondary intermediate trusses also with arched-bracing but not springing from corbels. Pairs of purlins and a ridge-piece are present. Trusses are also set against the end walls. The aisle roof is similar but smaller, without collars and with only one purlin on each side. The nave floor is 19th-century encaustic tile. The walls are rendered.

The vestry, mostly filled by a later organ, has a trussed collar rafter roof, a window with a desk and a doorway with segmental relieving arches, and a 19th-century corner fireplace with a cast-iron round-arched grate and chamfered chimney-piece.

Fittings

The chancel has complete fittings of circa 1868. A stone reredos of 2:2:2 bays consists of paired trefoiled moulded blind arches on marble shafts with foliate capitals and moulded bases, with diaper-patterned spandrels and a roundel between. The centre two arches have a carved bird, probably a dove, and carved flowers in the spandrels around it. Bands of dogtooth ornament run above and between each pair of arches. Painted inscriptions on metal sheet in each arch include the Commandments in the left-hand pair and the Lord's Prayer and the Creed in the right-hand pair. The central two arched panels have painted reticulated ornament and a monogram in the head of each.

The carved Gothic altar table has a wide trefoil arch to the centre at the front. Gilded and painted altar rails of circa 1868 consist of wrought-iron supports with colonnettes and leaf brackets and a wooden rail, lifting to the centre. Wooden choir stalls of circa 1868, one set in the sanctuary at the time of survey, have semi-circular seats, each divided by shafts. The frontals consist of trefoiled arches with pieced spandrels divided by colonnettes and ends carved with poppyheads and heraldic ornament.

A large 19th-century framed painting of Christ hangs in the chancel. An octagonal wooden pulpit of circa 1868 has trefoil-headed panels, brass candlesticks and a support for a reading desk, with steps featuring a painted and gilded twisted wrought-iron balustrade. A brass lectern was erected in 1914 in memory of Charles William Hole.

An octagonal stone font of 1868 at the west end of the aisle has two square steps, a trefoil-panelled stem with a moulded base, a bowl with carved quatrefoil panels, and a 19th-century pyramidal wooden cover suspended by a chain from the ceiling, with cresting around the sides and a finial. The tower screen is made up from reused finely-carved 17th-century panelling with the remains of a dentil cornice. Glazing above was inserted in 1969.

The 19th-century benches have square ends with carved traceried panels and heraldic ornament. Some surviving 15th-century bench ends, seven at the rear of the nave and two at the rear of the aisle, have various traceried panels and heraldic ornament. A large organ of 1906 is positioned on the north side of the chancel, extending into the vestry behind. A benefactor's board in the vestry commemorates the Reverend Samuel May (died 22nd February 1782) who left £30 a year for the poor of the parish.

Stained Glass

The stained glass in the chancel, in memory of the Reverend William Walter Gurney, is all part of the 1868 decorative scheme. The east window, dated 1868, depicts Christ in the centre light flanked by St Peter on the left-hand side and St Andrew. The south-east window depicts St Matthew and St John and the south-west window depicts St Mark and St Matthew. Probably late 19th or early 20th-century stained glass is present in the west window of the south aisle. The rest of the windows are glazed with diamond-leaded clear glass.

Monuments

Two mid-17th-century slate tablets are mounted on the north wall of the nave, with strapwork stone surrounds and painted heraldic ornament. The left-hand one commemorates Eliza Langford daughter of John Fortesque and wife of Roger Langford (died 3 August 1643) and the right-hand one commemorates Sara, wife of John Wollocombe esquire and daughter of John Fortesque of Weare Gifford (died 26 June 1652).

Historical Note

Six bells are housed in the tower, one dated 1706. The whole peal was recast by W. and J. Taylor of Oxford in 1823 from the previous peal of five bells. A church at Roborough is first mentioned in 1275. There was a west gallery in 1849. A Norman font is mentioned in 1849 and 1858 but does not survive.