Church of Saints Peter, Paul and John

Church of Saints Peter, Paul and John

This parish church is constructed of rubble stone with slate roofs and coped gables topped with cross finials. It consists of a massive embattled west tower with a stair turret, a wide nave with a large south porch, and a wide chancel.

The tower features a battered plinth with heavy moulding and another moulded string at mid-height. The embattled parapet has stone rainwater spouts to the west. The stair tower rises slightly higher at the southeast with its own embattled parapet and water spout. The bell-lights are small rectangular unmoulded 2-light openings with stone louvres and relieving arches above, of uncertain date but possibly late medieval or even post-medieval. The west doorway is slightly pointed and arched, with chamfering and a 3-sided stop, stone voussoirs above, and a 19th-century door. A small 19th-century flat-headed 2-light window sits above with a hoodmould. Small rectangular lights are positioned under the string course and halfway up the upper stage. The south side of the tower is windowless, but there are five small chamfered loops in the stair tower.

The nave's south side connects seamlessly with the stair tower. It contains a large south porch, followed by a small 2-light window with depressed arched lights, a flat hood and relieving arch to its left, and a large 3-light segmental-pointed 19th-century Bath stone Perpendicular-style window, whose sill may be reused. To the right is a windowless projection marking the location of a former rood stair. The porch is large with a chamfered arched entry similar to the west door, featuring a 3-sided stop and stone voussoirs. It has a small light to the east side, plastered interior walls, a moulded ridge beam, stone benches, and stone flagstones. The inner doorway is pointed, double-chamfered with a hoodmould and studded plank door.

The chancel's south side has a 19th-century lancet to the left, a renewed pointed-arched doorway in the centre, and another 19th-century Bath stone 3-light window to the right.

The nave's north side contains two large 19th-century Perpendicular-style pointed windows, the right one with an apparently reused sill. A straight joint appears to the left of the left window, followed by a 19th-century single light with flat head and hoodmould; the northeast corner of the nave appears to have been rebuilt. The chancel's north side has much renewed stonework and a 19th-century flat-headed 2-light window with a deep hoodmould and ogee tracery. The east end has heavy cornerstones, a battered plinth, and a renewed late medieval 3-light window with a four-centred pointed arch, hood, and two shield-bearing angels as stops, featuring ogee tracery.

Interior

The broad nave has whitewashed plaster walls and an open roof of large scissor rafters, presumably 17th-century and originally intended to be plastered. Stone flags cover the floor. The tower arch has cut stone voussoirs and a segmental pointed rear arch. A 19th-century pine screen stands beneath it. To the left of the tower arch is a narrow doorway to the tower stairs, chamfered with a bar stop and plank door. An inscription on the west wall reads "1593 ER XXXV". Within the tower, a high ceiling is supported by three heavily moulded beams, possibly 16th-century.

A plain beam spans the chancel arch with two stone corbels below and two above, representing remains of the rood loft. The chancel arch is moulded and pointed. Two steps lead down into the chancel, which has a 19th-century 3-bay collar-truss roof with diagonal boarding. A trefoil cusped piscina is set low on the south wall.

An octagonal font with chamfering below stands on a base with malt-shovel panels. The bowl is inscribed "Iohn Iones 1673". The church contains 19th-century pews, stalls, and a pulpit, as well as 19th-century wrought iron communion rails. The east end has 20th-century linenfold panelling and a 1981 stained glass window depicting Christ and the Lamb. A tiny piece of possibly ancient glass remains in the head of the left north nave window.

Memorials include a marble sarcophagus plaque with lion feet and broken column to John Gardner Kemeys of Bertholey and Plantain Garden River, Jamaica (died 1830), signed by R. Walker of Bristol, and a grey and white marble plaque with female and anchor leaning on an urn, dedicated to Susanna Gardner Kemeys (died 1804), signed by Reeves & Son of Bath.