Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

This church at Nether Heyford is a substantial medieval building dating from the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries. It was significantly restored and reseated in 1855 by William Butterfield, who added an organ chamber. Further restoration took place in 1878 by E.F. Law, when the chancel was rebuilt and the church comprehensively restored.

The building is constructed of coursed squared ironstone and coursed ironstone and limestone rubble, with slate roofs featuring tile ridges except for felt roofs to the aisles. The plan comprises a chancel with organ chamber, nave, north and south aisles, a south porch and a west tower.

The 2-bay chancel contains a 19th-century Decorated style east window with 3 lights and reticulated tracery. The north and south walls have straight-headed windows with ogee-headed lights, the south-east example having a quatrefoil to its head. The chancel features diagonal offset buttresses, a chamfered plinth, a string course at sill level, and a plain stone-coped parapet with a frieze at eaves level decorated with alternate heads and fleurons. The organ chamber to the south (now used as a vestry) has a roll-moulded and hollow-chamfered door to the east with hood mould and head stops, though the door has been re-set and partly renewed. It contains Decorated style 2-light windows to the east and south, diagonal offset buttresses, a chamfered plinth, string course, plain stone-coped parapet and hipped roof.

The nave features a clerestory of quatrefoil windows—four to the north and three to the south—each with square chamfered stone surrounds. The eaves are hollow-chamfered stone with a stone-coped east gable with kneelers. The 13th-century north aisle has 2-light coupled lancet windows except for the north-east example which has 19th-century tracery with a trefoil to its head. A double-chamfered north door features a hood mould. The south aisle has 2-light hollow-chamfered stone mullion windows to the south and a 19th-century quatrefoil window to the west. The 13th-century south door has one order of shafts, imposts and a single-stepped arch decorated with nail-head ornament, contained within a 19th-century gabled porch.

The 3-stage west tower has a blocked west door featuring hollow chamfer and sunk-quadrant moulding with hood mould and label stops. Above this is a 2-light window with a trefoil to its head. The middle stage has a small niche with ogee-arched head to the west and a small 1-light window with cusped head to the south. The bell-chamber openings are 2-light with ogee-arched heads to the lights and a quatrefoil to the head. The tower has diagonal offset buttresses and a plain stone-coped parapet. Diagonal offset buttresses also appear on the south aisle, which has hollow-chamfered stone eaves and hood moulds to all windows except those to the clerestory and south aisle.

Interior features include a piscina in the chancel with ogee-arched head and crocketed hood mould. The chancel arch comprises a double sunk-quadrant-moulded arch with the inner arch springing from corbels. The nave has a 5-bay north arcade with octagonal piers, moulded capitals and chamfered arches. The 4-bay south arcade has octagonal piers, moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches with a polygonal respond. An over life-size carved stone bearded head sits above the middle arch of the north aisle. A blocked recess with shafts and double roll-moulded arch in the north aisle may represent an Easter Sepulchre.

The font has a plain round bowl and a 17th-century octagonal pyramidal cover with ball finial. The polygonal pulpit and lectern were designed by William Butterfield. The church contains 19th-century stained glass in the east window.

Monuments include a brass of Sir Walter Mauntell (died 1487) and his wife holding hands. A wall monument to Judge Francis Morgan (died 1556) shows his wife and family with kneeling figures of husband and wife facing each other at a prayer desk, flanked by allegorical figures representing Fides and Spas (Fides shown by feet only). Simple marble wall monuments commemorate Mrs. Sarah Bull (died 1718), Mr. George Goldburne of Upper Heyford (died 1688), and Thomas Goldburne (died 1697).