Church Of St Peter And St Paul

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a church dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, with significant restoration work carried out in 1912-14 and later alterations. It is constructed of coursed squared limestone and ironstone, with ironstone dressings, and has lead and copper roofs. The building comprises a chancel, north and south chancel chapels, a nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and a west tower.

The chancel has a four-light Perpendicular east window. A three-light Perpendicular window with a four-centred head is located to the south, and a three-light window with a straight head and foiled ogee-arched lights is situated at a higher level to the north. The chancel chapels extend the aisles, overlapping the chancel and each possessing a two-light east window with cusped Y-tracery. A fine three-light window with Curvilinear tracery is found to the north, alongside a four-light round-arched window with pointed trefoil-headed lights, and a lancet window to the south-east. The nave's clerestory features round quatrefoil windows, with a four-light hollow-chamfered stone mullion window to the south-east. The north aisle has a two-light window, another two-light window with Decorated tracery to the head, and a two-light window with foiled Y-tracery at the west end, alongside a double wave-moulded north doorway. The south aisle presents a two-light window with cusped Y-tracery and a one-light round trefoil-headed window to the west. A single-stepped south door is set within a gabled porch, which incorporates a double-chamfered doorway and small one-light windows to the east and west, all with rectangular chamfered stone surrounds. The three-stage west tower features an old plank west door with a pegged wood surround, a lancet window above, and small lancets to the middle stage. The bell-chamber has two-light openings with cusped Y-tracery. The tower has offset angle buttresses, a plain stone-coped parapet to the north and south, a saddleback roof with stone-coped gables, and two-light bell openings with quatrefoils to their heads. Inside the chancel is an aumbry with an old plank door and fine U-shaped hinges. A piscina and sedilia are also present, each with ogee-arched heads. The sanctuary floor is laid with black and white chequered stone paving. A double-chamfered chancel arch and arches to the chapels to the north and south are punctuated by polygonal responds. The chapels each contain a piscina with pointed roll-moulded arches and hood moulds, and image brackets to either side of the east windows. The south chapel also features an ogee-arched tomb recess with a crocketed hood mould. The nave is characterised by four-bay arcades with complex piers of four triple shafts to a circular core, moulded capitals, and double-chamfered arches. 18th-century texts are presented in cartouches, painted onto plastered and whitewashed walls. A Norman font with a round arched bowl is present, along with a polygonal pulpit dated 1579, which includes 18th-century brass candle holders. An 18th-century communion table stands in the nave, with elongated volute legs. 18th-century Commandment, Creed, and Lord’s Prayer boards are also incorporated. A rare three-way cross head exhibits a crucifixus, carved heads, and stiff-leaf decoration. The windows contain old crown glass quarries, and a small fragment of painted glass in the south-east chancel window depicts a scallop shell relating to St James.