Church of St Peter and lych gate

Church of St Peter and lych gate

This parish church has origins in the 12th century but is predominantly 14th century in date. It was re-ordered in 1831–34 and enlarged in 1866–8 by the architect John Middleton. The building is constructed of limestone ashlar with roofs of Cotswold stone slate.

The plan is unusual, consisting of a short chancel with a tower and spire over its west end, a nave with north and south aisles, a north porch, and a south vestry. Most unusually, there is also a room above the chancel.

EXTERIOR

The north wall of the chancel features a small plank priest's door within a flat-chamfered ogee-arched doorway to the lower right, and a tall 19th-century two-light window with cinquefoil-headed lights and a quatrefoil. Diagonal buttresses stand at the east end, which has a two-light Decorated east window with similar cinquefoil-headed lights, a restored mullion, and a moulded hood with carved head stops. A second two-light window with trefoil-headed lights, quatrefoil and hood with ballflower ornament above lights the room above the chancel. The south chancel wall has a matching tall 19th-century two-light window, and a large circular scratch-mass dial is carved on the buttress to the left. The early-14th-century tower has a tall two-light window on its south side matching that in the chancel's north wall, stone steps up to a 19th-century door to the stair turret above the chancel, and single-light belfry windows with stone louvers. The octagonal ribbed spire features trefoil-headed lucarnes and a decorated finial with weathercock.

The east end and south wall of the south aisle are 14th century. The east end has a 14th-century square-headed three-light window with reticulated tracery, matched by a similar window with a restored lintel at the south-east end of the south aisle. The east side of the 19th-century vestry has windows matching those of the south aisle, a projecting gable-end stack with two circular shafts, a plank door within a pointed surround, and a two-light window with reticulated tracery on its west-facing wall. West of the vestry, the south aisle has 19th-century three-light windows with relieving arches and 19th-century buttresses. The west end of the south aisle has a 19th-century three-light window with a segmental-pointed head and reticulated tracery.

The 19th-century west end to the nave has buttresses with offsets on either side. It features a 20th-century panelled door within a pointed-arched surround with red sandstone columns with foliate capitals on either side, from which rises a moulded arch with a scroll-moulded hood with king's and bishop's head stops. Above the doorway is a 19th-century three-light window with reticulated tracery and a moulded hood with uncarved stops. The buttressed 19th-century north aisle has a 19th-century three-light window at its west end, matching that of the south aisle, and five 19th-century three-light windows with segmental-pointed surrounds to its north wall, the easternmost giving onto the organ chamber.

The 14th-century gabled porch has diagonal buttresses and a plank door with fillets within an almost round-headed moulded surround. Within the porch are a 14th-century image niche containing a 19th-century statuette of St Peter, a stone flag floor, stone bench seats, and a plastered ceiling with moulded wallplates. A 20th-century panelled door within a 19th-century pointed arch is flanked by columns with foliate capitals supporting an ovolo-moulded arch, with a moulded hood with carved head stops, one of which is reputed to represent John Middleton.

INTERIOR

The nave, of five bays, has late-19th/early-20th-century facetted roof with three 20th-century roof lights to each side. It features 19th-century pointed-arched arcades with circular piers. The respond at the east end of the south aisle incorporates parts of an in situ late-12th-century respond with foliate decoration of Transitional character. At the east end of the north aisle is an organ of 1936, built by the London firm of Hill, Norman & Beard. Against the east wall of the south aisle are the remains of a medieval altar.

The early-14th-century pointed tower and chancel arches have double chamfers. A large carved stone head, probably of the 14th century, sits over the chancel arch. To the right of the chancel arch is a blocked doorway formerly leading to the tower steps. Below the tower is plain chamfered rib vaulting with angel headstops to the ridge ribs and a hole at the centre to accommodate the bell ropes.

The chancel has a simple one-compartment quadripartite vault with carved heads at the springing and angel stops to the ridge ribs; the central boss is carved with the head of Christ. The aumbry at the east end of the chancel has a 20th-century wooden door, and there is a blocked priest's doorway in the north wall. The floor is stone flagged.

FITTINGS

The 12th-century limestone circular font has simple cable mouldings to the top and bottom of the bowl, a cylindrical pedestal, and renewed base and plinth. The pews are 19th century. The communion rails of 1915 and the octagonal wooden pulpit with linenfold panelling, vinescroll frieze and angel statuettes, dated 1913, are both by Leonard William Barnard. In front of the chancel arch is a mid-20th-century greystone altar, and the east end of the south aisle has a 20th-century limestone altar with 19th-century image corbels to either side. Above the left-hand corbel is a cross, probably from an early grave. A trefoil-headed piscina in the south wall is now largely obscured by a brass. The chancel has a 20th-century limestone altar.

STAINED GLASS

The windows in the north porch, dated 1903–4, are by Lavers, Westlake & Co., as are two in the south aisle and the east window of the north aisle. The westernmost window in the north aisle, probably circa 1891, the east window of 1866, the window in the crossing of 1868, and the east window in the south aisle, also 1868, are all by Hardman. The south-west window in the south aisle of circa 1864 and the two central windows in the north aisle of circa 1888 are by Clayton and Bell. The south chancel window is probably by Lavers & Barraud, circa 1858, and the north window of circa 1900 by Heaton, Butler & Bayne. The three west windows of 1866 are by Wailes.

MONUMENTS

Recumbent stone effigies of Sir John Giffard, died 1327, and his wife, which probably date from the 1340s, are located at the west end of the south aisle, re-located from the north side of the south aisle chapel. Set towards the east end of the south aisle is a brass to Elizabeth Norwood, died 1598, with kneeling figures of herself, her husband, sons and two daughters. Also in the east wall is a 12th/13th-century headstone with splay arm cross. The north aisle has a late-15th/early-16th-century recumbent stone effigy of a priest in Eucharistic vestments. Numerous 19th-century monuments in white and black marble are on the north and south walls of the aisles to various Cheltenham notables, several by G Lewis of Cheltenham. One 18th-century monument has a twin inscription panel with a broken segmental pediment with a pointing finger at the top, foliate scrollwork and a four-winged angel at the bottom. Two 17th-century and one 18th-century ledger are within the south aisle, two to members of the Norwood family, and one marble bust of a youth by Sir Thomas Brock.

LYCH GATE

At the entrance to the churchyard, north-west of St Peter's, is a lych gate dedicated in 1893. It is timber framed with ashlar side walls with a chamfered stone capping. The gabled roof is clad in plain tiles and has ornate bargeboards. It features a moulded four-centred arched entrance with double gates with pierced panelling at the top.