Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

Anglican parish church with medieval origins spanning the 12th to 15th centuries. The chancel was restored in 1862, as commemorated on the east gable end.

The building comprises a nave with west tower, north transept and south aisle which abuts the east side of the south porch; chancel with vestry on the north abutting the transept.

The nave is constructed of rubble with a restored plinth. The clerestory, transept and chancel are built of coursed squared and dressed limestone. The tower is coursed squared and dressed limestone in its lower stages, degenerating into rubble towards the top of the second stage, with a random large finely squared and dressed limestone upper stage. The roofing varies: leaded roof covers the nave and south aisle; red tile roofing covers the transept and chancel; stone slate roofing covers the south porch and vestry, the latter being replaced with artificial stone slate at the time of resurvey in March 1987.

On the nave south wall is a 20th-century double door with Tudor-arched surround and carved spandrels inserted within a 12th-century opening with engaged jamb shafts with scalloped capitals supporting a chevroned arch with roll-moulded outer arch and later carved head at the apex. The tympanum is decorated with a cat-like head with foliage issuing from its mouth, reputed to represent the devil. To the right is a 13th-century lancet with ovolo and casement mouldings and moulded hood with small head stops. An eroded 12th-century corbel table with varying decoration runs along the wall, with remains of a similar corbel table and Decorated 2-light window visible where the south wall remains exposed. Two rectangular 15th-century two-light windows with trefoil-headed lights and eroded jambs sit on the north side of the clerestory. Similar but 19th-century windows with diamond-leaded panes and a sundial with metal gnomon and the inscription 'ARCHER' are positioned on the north side. Towards the west end of the south wall are 20th-century double plank doors with Tudor-arched stone lintel and carved spandrels set within a tall flat-chamfered pointed arch, now partially blocked. A parapet with moulded string runs above.

An early 20th-century gabled porch with diagonal buttresses and moulded pointed-arched entrance with stopped hood framing foliate panels stands on the south side. Trefoil-headed 3-light windows occupy the return walls.

The south wall of the chancel has diagonal and side buttresses. It features a single pointed 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery; a two-pointed window with quatrefoils to the right; and a 19th-century three-light window with Perpendicular style tracery, with a roll-moulded string course below. The chancel north wall shows traces of a blocked window and a blocked Tudor-arched priest's door with an early-to-mid 17th-century two-light window with stilted-headed lights and hollow-chamfered mullions.

An early 20th-century cross-gabled vestry and lean-to porch with diagonal buttresses to both parts stand on the north. The east side has a single lancet with deep casement-moulded surround containing square foliate bosses, and a small plank door with decorative hinges and moulded lintel lower right. Five reused 12th-century corbels sit below a string course on the east. Single quatrefoils occupy each gable. A plank door with decorative hinges within a moulded Tudor-arched surround with hood framing rectangular panels of foliate decoration stands on the south. A reused 2-light late 16th-to-early 17th-century stone-mullioned window occupies the north wall.

The three-stage tower has 13th-century lower stages and a 15th-century upper stage. Angle buttresses and side buttresses support the lower stages. An early studded ogee door sits on the north side with a lancet window above; two lancet windows occupy the south side; one lancet stands on the east. A 13th-century corbel table with matching moulded corbels and string course above runs around. Two-light belfry windows in the 15th-century stage feature pierced decorative shuttering, and a battlemented parapet crowns the tower. Stepped flat and saddleback coping runs along the nave, north transept and vestry respectively.

The interior is limewashed. The nave has a 15th-century roof with cambered principal rafters. Arch-braced collar beam trusses cover the chancel and transept, dating to the 19th century. A 20th-century lean-to roof covers the south aisle. The nave has flagged flooring; the chancel is laid with coloured and encaustic tiling.

The 13th-century tower arch is of 3 orders with the inner dying in at the height of the springing. A possibly 14th-century chancel arch is matched by a double hollow-moulded 14th-century arch to the transept. A 2-bay south arcade was rebuilt in the 15th century; the easternmost arch has a crudely executed segmental-headed head incorporating some 12th-century stonework with pellet decoration, while the other is a crudely executed Tudor arch. An early rectangular doorway, now partially blocked, sits to the east of the segmental arch. Single early 20th-century arches lead from the chancel and north transept to the organ chamber.

A triangular piscina in the south wall of the south aisle indicates the former presence of an altar. A large probably 15th-century piscina with roll-moulded trefoil-headed surround occupies the south wall of the chancel, accompanied by a small probably 14th-century piscina also with trefoil head set on the sill of the adjacent window. A 14th-century style octagonal stone font with inscription dated 1661 stands under the west arch of the arcade.

Early 20th-century pews, choir stalls and pulpit are finely carved with apple, vine and bursting seed pod motifs. The organ casing employs similar motifs. Two early 18th-century carved oak chairs sit in the sanctuary. The altar is a 20th-century wooden table. A 19th-century stained glass window and two further 19th-century windows occupy the chancel.

The chancel north wall carries monuments from left to right: an alabaster and marble monument to Thomas Cocks of Cleeve (died 1554) with a large bust of a bearded man in robes and foliate oval surround with segmental pediment; a white marble monument to Harriet Ancrum with 20th-century Hoptonwood stone tablet with lettering by Eric Gill; a fine painted monument to Sir Charles Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland, and Dorothy his wife (he died 1628, she died 1646), comprising two kneeling figures within a deep round-headed niche flanked by free-standing Corinthian columns, with heraldry flanked by miniature obelisks above the frieze, with figures and motifs painted with gilded highlights.

The chancel south wall displays monuments from left to right: a simple rectangular marble monument with moulded surround to Dorothy Cocks (died 1714); a simple limestone tablet to Thomas Washbourne (died 1681); a fine alabaster and marble monument to Richard Cocks and Dame Susanna his wife (he died 1684, she died 1689) with segmental-headed inscription panel flanked by black columns with Corinthian capitals, weeping putti either side, and open segmental pediment decorated with cherubs and putti leaning on hourglasses at the top with plain cartouche below; two white marble 19th-century monuments and three brass plaques, one to Edward Holland (died 1875). Two 18th-century marble monuments to members of the Cocks family occupy the south aisle. A large grey marble monument to Frances Lady Cocks (died 1723) stands on the north wall of the nave with long inscription flanked by pilasters, heraldry and urns at top.