Description

TILTON ON THE HILL

SK 70 NW MAIN STREET (East Side)

1/109 Church of St. Peter

29.12.66

GV I

Parish Church. The fabric spans from the late C12 to C15. Well coursed ironstone
rubble with limestone dressings. West tower and spire, nave with clerestory
and 2 aisles, chancel. Tower of 3 stages, with angle quoins. Lowest stages
probably late C12 with south doorway and lancet window to west. Lancets also
in second stage. Paired C13 lights with plate tracery to bell chamber above.
Embattled parapet with gargoyles, and recessed spire of C14, with 2 tiers
of lucarnes. Clerestory is Perpendicular, with large 3-light windows with
transoms forming 2 tiers. Continuous hoodmould. Parapet. South aisle is late
C13 with 3 south windows of 3 stepped lancets, and west window of 3 lancets
with foiled circle above. South door is a simply chamfered archway with hoodmould
and string-course acting as capital. The porch is probably C15 or C16, 4-centred
archway in squared hoodmould with coped gable, and sun dial in apex. South
aisle is very wide with shallow pitched roof, and parapet with corbel table
which continues across east and west gables. Buttresses capped by pinnacles,
and gargoyles, all this detail a Perpendicular re-working. Also Perpendicular
is the large 4-light east window. All windows have hoodmoulds with corbel
heads.

Chancel dates partly from late C12, with a priest's door of that date, a small
round archway. All other details are Perpendicular: low side window to south,
3-light north window, both with transoms. South east window of 3-lights is
square headed. East window of 3-lights with transom forming 2 tiers. Parapet
and corbel table, angle buttresses. Buttressed north aisle with pinnacles,
gargoyles and corbel table below parapet. Blocked late Decorated north doorway,
a many chamfered archway. East window of 2 trefoiled lights, the others of
3-lights are Perpendicular.

Inside, late C12 tower arch no longer central to alignment of church, with
shafted responds, with stiff leaf capitals and square abaci, and 3 steps to
arch. Nave arcades of 5 bays, the south the earlier, and late C13. Square
bases to octagonal piers, single chamfered arches with chamfered hoodmoulds
with corbel heads resting on the abaci. North arcade is similar but slightly
later with double chamfered arches and hoodmould springing from higher corbel
heads. There is another carved head at the apex of each arch. 2 of the capitals
are elaborately carved: 1 with winged angels heads, the other with creeping
beasts, a lion, a monkey, a fox and a lamb. Nave roof has flat tie beams
with bosses on struts springing from corbel heads. The roof timbers date from
a restoration of 1854, but the bosses and corbel heads appear to be C15. C18
glazing in clerestory. Windows of south aisle are set in recesses with slender
circular shafts, and are linked by a continuous sill course. C18 glazing to
east window, and some fragments of medieval glass. Double piscina with fluted
basin set in paired lancets. Aumbry, with chamfered 2-centred arched tomb
recess. Roof has cambered tie beam supported from corbel heads. North aisle
roof is a lean-to with corbel heads.

Double chamfered chancel arch with semi-octagonal responds is not central
to nave alignment (the alignment of the church must have been altered when
one of the existing aisles was added). Although all the windows in the chancel
are Perpendicular, the sedilia predates them and is late Decorated, with 3
cusped ogee arches. Piscina. C18 altar rails, simply turned. Wall memorial
tablet, late C16 to Augustin Nichols and his wife, painted marble, with 2
kneeling figures at a Prie Dieu in an aedicule with 12 children, 3 in shrouds,
surmounted by strap work with human profiles, and a shield of arms. Large
C17 tomb chest with heraldic emblems in high relief on each side, to William
Nichols, d. 1625.

Other monuments to members of Digby family, 2 between south aisle and nave,
to Sir John Digby and his wife, 1269. Chest tombs with large effigies: the
knight is in chain mail with crossed legs and drawn sword. His wife lies with
one arm by her side, one hand clutching a handkerchief, and has a very flat
face with incised features. Both retain some fragments of colour. Against
the south wall is the tomb of Sir Everard Digby, d.1509. Heavily sculpted
knight's effigy on base with shields in quatrefoils with inscription.

Stone Victorian pulpit, 1854. C12 font, base with 8 circular shafts and square
basin with chamfered corners, carved like a cushion capital.

Listing NGR: SK7434405655

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530604

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)