Church Of St Peter

The Church of St Peter is a parish church, likely originating in the 14th century, with substantial rebuilding in the 15th century and a restoration in the 1870s. Constructed of granite rubble walls, with the tower and porch built of granite ashlar, it has gable-ended slate roofs with coping stones. The building’s plan includes a nave, chancel, north aisle, south transept and porch, and a west tower. Originally possibly cruciform, it was heavily remodelled in the 15th century, absorbing a north transept into the new aisle and adding the west tower and south porch. The three-stage crenellated west tower features large polygonal pinnacles, which are also crenellated and crocketted, along with 2-light belfry openings with simple tracery. A moulded plinth runs along the base. The ornate west doorway is constructed of volcanic stone, richly moulded with quatrefoils within the spandrels and a square hoodmould above. The 3-light west window has Perpendicular tracery. The north aisle has five 2-light windows; four with restored tracery, and one taller central window dating to circa the late 15th century, with cinquefoiled heads and a square hoodmould. The east end of the aisle has three 2-light Perpendicular windows with renewed mullions. The chancel’s east window is restored in Perpendicular style. The south wall has a 2-light window with cinquefoiled heads from the 15th century on the right, and a reconstructed 15th-century window to its left. Between these windows is a granite 4-centre arched priests doorway. In the angle with the south transept is a rood stair turret with a granite slit. The transept has set-back buttresses and a large 4-light granite Perpendicular window with what is described as crude, possibly mutilated, tracery. To the left of this, the south wall of the nave has a similar 3-light window with cinquefoiled heads as on the north aisle, but its mullions have been renewed. The gabled, single-storey south porch has a 4-centre arched moulded granite doorway with an arched hoodmould above, and a moulded stringcourse. Inside, a 4-bay granite arcade separates the nave and north aisle, featuring Pevsner A-type piers with moulded capitals, and double chamfered depressed 4-centred arches. A similar arch leads to the transept, corbelled out from the wall. A tall 4-centred tower arch is supported by columns. The plaster chancel arch has been restored. The roofs are from circa the early 20th century, with a wagon roof over the chancel. The late 19th-century pews are plain. Other fittings are generally 20th century. The font is either 15th or 16th century, octagonal, with carved panels. A wall memorial of 1722, dedicated to Revd. Thomas Pocock, former rector, is on the north wall of the chancel. Two sections of panelling from the original rood screens are preserved and hung on the west wall of the nave. Two sections of a carved pew-front, dating from the early to mid 16th century, are preserved in the transept, displaying Renaissance motifs. Despite alterations, the church retains several early windows and a particularly distinctive tower.