Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This parish church has Norman origins but was substantially rebuilt in the 14th century (dedicated in 1338) and again in the 15th century. It was restored in 1876. The building is constructed of stone rubble with a gable-ended slate roof and comprises a nave, north aisle and chapel, south transept, west tower, and south porch.

The earliest surviving feature is a Norman south doorway, characteristic of several churches in the area. The substantial rebuilding of the 14th century is evident in the eastern end of the north arcade and probably the transept and tower. The remainder of the church dates from the 15th and early 16th centuries, when it reached its present form. The vestry to the north of the chancel was probably added during the 1876 restoration, when the chancel itself was also rebuilt.

The west tower is unbuttressed and battlemented with obelisk pinnacles and no west doorway. It has restored two-light belfry openings and a Decorated style west window. The north aisle has three three-light Perpendicular windows, probably with renewed tracery and mullions. A granite two-centred north doorway features double roll mouldings. A small gabled vestry projects from the east end of the aisle.

The south wall of the nave contains two early 16th-century three-light segmental-headed mullion windows with square hoodmoulds, and a two-light window towards the east end. The three-light Decorated style east window is a restoration. The south transept has a restored Perpendicular style window on its end wall and a 15th-century style two-light mullion with four-centred heads on the east wall.

Internally, the porch roof is a restoration. The Norman south doorway is of high quality, featuring two orders with a semi-circular head containing several different mouldings including chevrons around its outer ring. Two orders of colonnettes have differently carved capitals.

The north arcade consists of two distinct parts. The two western arches are 15th-century with Pevsner A-type piers and moulded wide segmental arches. The two eastern arches are 14th-century, lower and heavier, with chamfered and rebated pointed heads. An octagonal central column and chamfered responds support the arcade. Tall modern tower and chancel arches are present, as is a four-centred transept arch, probably also rebuilt. Interior walls have 20th-century plaster.

The roofs are completely restored, probably in 1876, in arch-braced and simple A-frame forms. A piscina with a pointed head is located in the north chapel.

The pews are modern, though those in the chancel reuse some old carved panels likely from earlier benches. An octagonal font, likely 15th or 16th-century, has a plain granite bowl with a sandstone base and stem.

A fine 17th-century alabaster memorial in the north chapel depicts Sir John and Lady Speccott with two sons kneeling at their feet and two daughters at their heads. An accompanying alabaster relief on the wall at the foot of the memorial shows Sir Humphrey Speccott and his wife Elizabeth. A simple memorial on the south wall of the chapel commemorates John Johns who died in 1715, featuring a winged angel's head below the plaque and an hourglass above it. A memorial on the north wall honours John Maynard and his sister Margaret, who died in 1694 and 1766 respectively, with decorative carving around the edges, an armorial shield above, and a relief figure of a child below. A slate floor memorial dated 1681 commemorates William Hamond, rector of the parish.