Church Of St Peter

Church of St Peter

Anglican parish church on Church Road at West Huntspill, established by 1208, rebuilt around 1400, extended in the early to mid-15th century. The building was gutted by fire in 1878 and restored in 1879–80.

The church is built of coursed and squared lias rubble with freestone dressings. It features gargoyles, parapets with moulded copings (some embattled), tile and lead sheeting roofs, coped verges with cruciform finials, and a 19th-century ashlar stack to the vestry. The plan comprises a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, north and south chapels clasping the chancel, a north vestry at the east end of the north chapel, a south porch, and a west tower. The architectural style is Perpendicular.

The tall and sturdy west tower is embattled and of four stages, with set-back buttresses that have offsets ascending only to the top stage. A stair turret sits between the buttresses at the south-west corner. The ringing chamber stage has simple oblong windows, and the bell-chamber windows are of two lights with Somerset tracery. The richly treated west end features a pointed arch door opening in a moulded surround with blank shields in the spandrels, flanking shafts, and foiled niches outside these. A large five-light window rises above, with plank doors fitted with ornamental strap hinges.

The five-bay nave has five-bay aisles with tall and narrow two-light windows with thick tracery, buttresses, and north and south doorways with plank doors and iron strap hinges. The south side features a two-storeyed porch with a broad moulded outer door opening and a single light window above to the parvis. Inside, the porch is benched on flagstone flooring, though the parvis floor has been removed.

The three-bay chapels have large three-light traceried windows and buttresses, with low north and south doorways. The chancel contains a large five-light east window with tracery. The two-storeyed vestry has a blocked window on the first floor to the east and on the ground floor a three-light window with renewed tracery. The majority of windows are fitted with iron saddle and stanchion bars.

The lofty plastered interior stands on tile and encaustic tile floors. The roofs are elaborate neo-medieval work from the restoration, with much carving including figural elements. The 14th-century corbels include some carved as heads, and the chancel roof carries six angels holding the emblems of the Passion. The nave features arcades of five bays with piers of four-hollow section; two conforming narrower bays lead to the chapels. The tower arch has responds of four-hollow section, boldly treated. The chancel arch is set high up and vestigial in character. A blocked window to the north of the chancel retains its tracery. The south chapel contains a 14th-century piscina. Upper and lower entrances to the rood occupy a turret. The south aisle holds the tomb of Sir William Cogan and his lady, with an obit around 1380; the recess contains life-size effigies under a cusped outer arch renewed in the 19th century. A small oval brass memorial to the chancel dates from 1687.

Fittings include a Jacobean pulpit with an arcade of blank arches and texts, some 19th-century embellishments, a restored 17th-century chair, a neo-Norman font with a 17th-century tester, a 17th-century chest, and a 14th-century iron-bound chest. Royal Arms of Charles II hang under the tower. An early 18th-century painting under the tower depicts St Peter healing the cripple. An 18th-century altar table is stated to be the remains of a much larger reredos. An 18th-century wooden cartouche is positioned over the south door. The remainder of the fittings are predominantly late 19th-century work of high quality, including pews, lectern, organ, parclose screens, altar rail, and stone reredos. Five principal brass wall monuments and four charity plaques are present. Carved choir stalls date from around 1930. A fine east window was created by Clayton and Sell, with two further late 19th-century stained glass windows and two mid-20th-century stained glass windows, one by William Aikman.

Although the church was gutted by fire, the medieval work that remains is of great worth, including the tower, arcades, and window tracery.