Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

A church of late 12th-century origin, substantially rebuilt in the 13th century and restored in the 19th century. The building is constructed of squared coursed limestone with an ashlar tower and spire, and roofs of lead and Collyweston slate.

The church comprises an aisled nave, chancel, south porch, north vestry and west tower. The chancel's south elevation displays three tall 2-light windows with 19th-century tracery; the window to the left has a low cill and transom. Two-stage buttresses rise to the right and at the corner. The shallow gabled roof is finished with a plain ashlar parapet and 19th-century finial. The north elevation of the chancel is of three bays, with one 2-light window similar to those on the south side at the far right. A gabled vestry projects to the left, its south gable containing a small 13th-century lancet in the apex and a 19th-century 2-light window in the return wall. A 19th-century door opening sits in the right return wall, with a gabled roof of Collyweston slates and ashlar parapets, and a 19th-century lateral stone stack to the right of the vestry.

The south aisle spans four bays with a 3-window range: a 2-light window to the right, a 3-light window with 4-centred arch head (both with 19th-century tracery) at centre, and a window to the left with carved label stops. A 2-light window at the far left displays Y-tracery with cusping and trefoil circle. The aisle has a lean-to roof with castellated ashlar parapet and remains of three gargoyles. The east window is a 2-light with Y-tracery with cusping and trefoil circle; the west window is a 2-light with Y-tracery and transom. A gabled porch to the left of centre has a roll-moulded outer arch with a similar restored inner arch, and 2-light square-head windows in its return walls.

The north aisle also spans four bays with three windows. The 2-light windows at far left and right have Perpendicular and reticulated tracery respectively. A 3-light window to the left of centre has a 4-centred arch head. A simple ogee-head north doorway sits to the right of centre. Two-stage clasping buttresses occupy the corners, with 2-stage buttresses between windows. The lean-to roof has a plain ashlar parapet. The 2-light east and west windows display reticulated tracery.

The nave clerestory contains a 4-window range of 2-light square-head windows with 19th-century tracery, under a shallow gabled roof with castellated ashlar parapets and a 19th-century finial.

The west tower is a three-stage Decorated structure with 2-stage clasping buttresses and a 2-stage moulded plinth. The lower stage has a 2-light ogee-head west window with 19th-century tracery and hood mould with carved label stops. The middle stage features a circular west window with 19th-century tracery. The upper stage contains 2-light bell-chamber openings with moulded reveals and reticulated tracery on each face. A broach spire rises from a corbel table with tall broaches, and features three tiers of lucarnes, the lower stage having circular shafts and semi-circular responds.

Interior

The interior contains a 3-bay nave arcade of double-chamfered arches. The west pier of the north arcade is late 12th-century, circular with a square abacus. The east pier is circa 1300, quatrefoil in plan. The south arcade is 13th-century with circular piers, octagonal abaci, and corbelled responds. The chancel arch and tower arch are both double and triple-chamfered respectively, with corbelled responds. The roof structures date to the 19th century.

An ogee-head piscina to the left of the altar has been restored in the 19th century, with its stepped window cill forming a sedilia alongside. The priest door to the vestry opposite has a 2-centred arch head with roll mouldings. A shallow recess with arch head lies to the left of the doorway. A second piscina in the south aisle window cill has an ogee head and single shaft support; a third piscina to the left has a trefoil head. The east wall of the aisle displays four corbelled brackets. A holy water stoup to the left of the south door has an ogee head. The door to the tower stair has a stepped ogee head and roll mouldings.

The octagonal font has a cluster shaft support with hollows.

Monuments include one to Mrs Davenant, circa 1616, to the left of the altar, featuring a rectangular inscribed panel with strap surround, an armorial device with scrolls and dentilled cornice, and an obelisk above. An oval tablet commemorates Mary Manninge, who died in 1780, in the north aisle. Two early 19th-century marble tablets to the Sandersen family are located in the chancel.

Stained glass in the three south windows of the chancel includes early 14th-century glass at tracery level; the window to the right contains panels depicting St Christopher and St George. The 19th-century east window contains medieval fragments in the tracery. Late 19th-century glass appears in the east windows of the aisles and the west window of the belfry.