Description

WESTLEIGH WESTLEIGH
SS 42 NE
3/125 Church of St Peter
25.2.65
GV I
Parish church. Possibly C13 fabric to nave early C14 chancel, both remodelled in
C15/C16 when south transept, west tower and north aisle were added. Restored 1879
by J. F. Gould. Stone rubble, roughly coursed to tower, with ashlar dressings.
Slate roof to nave and chancel with coped gable ends and crested ridge tiles,
bitumenized scantle slate roof to north aisle. West tower, nave, south porch, south
transept, north aisle and chancel.
Tower of 3 stages with embattled parapet and thick buttresses covering the angles.
Polygonal stair turret on south side. Bell-openings on north, west and east sides
with windows replaced in C19, semi-circular headed with Y tracery. Single pointed
arched window openings to first stage on east side. Perpendicular pointed arched
west window of 4 lights with foliated label stops to the hoodmould. Semi-circular
headed west doorway with elaborately moulded surround and hoodmould.
Nave south side has tall Perpendicular straight-headed window with hoodmould of 3
cusped headed lights. Moulded stone keelers to gable end of south porch roof with
apex gablet. Niche above pointed arched doorway which has engaged shafts with
foliated decoration to the capitals and thin ribs with small capitals to the centre
of the hollow chamfer of the moulded surround. Ceiled waggon roof to porch with
moulded ribs and bosses at the intersections. Pointed arched inner door with
hollow and straight chamfered moulded surround, early plank door with old lock.
Straight-headed Perpendicular window of 2 cusped headed lights between south porch
and transept. South transept has C19 4 light window at south end and similar 3
light window on east side. 2 pointed arched windows to chancel with Y tracery and
hoodmoulds, flanking pointed arched priest's doorway. C19. Decorated style 3
light window at east end with intersecting tracery, C19 window to east end of north
aisle, and 4 straight headed granite windows of three 4-centred arched lights with
hoodmoulds.
Interior: 4 bay arcade with Pevsner 'A' type granite piers, roll moulded capitals
only to the main shafts. Unmoulded pointed arch to south transept. Ceiled waggon
roofs throughout, with moulded ribs and various ornately carved bosses at the
intersections. The nave has angel figures bearing shields at the foot of each rib
to each wall plate. Crenellated wall plates to transept which like those of the
chancel have various foliated ornamentation at intervals. Trefoil headed piscina,
partly retooled with radiating ribs to the base at east end of chancel, and small
trefoil-headed piscina to south wall of south transept. Patterned Victorian tiled
floor to chancel. Considerable number of medieval patterned Barnstaple tiles to
nave, south transept and north aisle. C16 pews to nave, 12 to north side, 6 to
south side with elaborately carved bench ends, and 3 to rear south side moulded top
rails but without carving to the end. C19 pulpit. Early English font with lead-
lined bowl supported on engaged corner shafts and smaller shafts to centre of each
facet. Brass oil lamps intact.
Paintings: Christ by Harlow c.1830. "Rizpah" by Lord Leighton. 2 diamond shaped
hatchments painted with shields to east wall of south transept and to west wall of
north aisle.
Monuments: north wall of chancel. Charles Cutcliffe 1745. North wall of north
aisle. William Clevland, pedimented with achievement to base. 1745. Archibald
Clevland by E Physick, 1854. Trophied surround. Augustus Clevland, 1849. Weeping
maiden under a willow, by M W Johnson of New Road, London. Augustus Saltern
Willett, 1813. By N Dovell of Pilton. Oval medallion capped by urn. North wall
of north aisle. John Clevland 1817 by J Kendall of Exeter. Draped urn over
plaque. South wall of nave. Thames Challacombe, 1681. Ionic pilasters with
richly decorated surround. Chancel south wall. John Clevland 1763. C19 stained
glass to eight of the windows, including early C19 glass in memory of Revd John
Torr and Thomas Berry to south end of south transept, and to east end of north
aisle to Archibald Clevland who died at Inkerman, 1854.

Listing NGR: SS4726428637

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526712

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

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)