Description

TR 24 SW SWINGFIELD THE STREET
(north side)

5/195 Church of St. Peter
29.12.66
GV I

Parish church. C13, possibly with late Cll or C12 origins, and C15.
Restored 1870. Knapped flint with stone dressings. Plain tile roofs. West
tower, nave, slightly narrower chancel, north aisle to nave. West tower:
late C15. Three stages, on chamfered stone plinth. Diagonal north-west
and south-west buttresses. Plain parapet above a moulded string. Pyramidal
slate roof with weathervane. Belfry windows of two pointed-arched lights
and sexfoil. No other openings to north or south. Small rectangular brick
west window towards top of lowest stage, with stone west lancet, with
hoodmould, under it. Low hollow-chamfered pointed-arched west doorway in
shallow hollow-chamfered rectangular recess. Circular south-east stair
turret, taller than tower, with plain parapet and slit lights. Nave: south
elevation: two buttresses. Untraceried straight-headed C15 window with
two cinquefoil-headed lights and hoodmould, towards west end. Straight-
headed window with two trefoil-headed lights to east of porch, and tall
plain-chamfered pointed lancet. Two stone corbels under eaves. South porch:
C14 or C15. Vertical boarding to gable. Probable evidence for durns to
outer doorway. Roof with chamfered rectangular crown posts. Pointed-
arched C13 inner doorway of two orders, the inner with rounded edges, the
outer plain-chamfered, below a moulded impost. Roll moulding to outer order
above impost, and scroll-moulded hoodmould. Two scratch dials. Chancel:
C13. Roughly-coursed knapped flint almost chequered with blocks of stone.
Diagonal north-east and south-east buttresses. Two plain-chamfered pointed
south lancets, and two to north. Three stepped individual east lancets with
oculus window above. North aisle: 1870. Lean-to roof. Four pointed north
lancets. Very small round-headed east window of late Cll or C12 appearance
Similar west window but with stone head channelled to represent arch and
voussoirs. Interior: structure: four-bay C19 north arcade to nave, in a
C13 or C14 style, with doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches and alternating
circular and octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. C19 doubly
plain-chamfered chancel arch, dying into walls. Tall, pointed C13 tower arch,
plain-chamfered, with broach stops. Four-centred-arched chamfered doorway
with broach stops, to tower stairs. Roof: crown-post roof to nave, with five
slender moulded octagonal crown posts, ashlar pieces, and scissor braces
trenched past collars, and past each other above. At each end, crown post
is raised on a low secondary collar, with ogee braces between the collar and
tie-beam. Scissor braces a relatively unusual survival in this area.
Collared common rafter roof to chancel with sous-laces, ashlar-pieces and
five tie-beams. Fittings: aumbry with broad, chamfered pointed arch towards
east end of south wall of chancel. Larger, similar, unchamfered aumbry
towards east end of north wall. Octagonal font with chamfered base.
floor. Monuments: three large black stone tablets to nave floor. One to
Mr Stephen Pilcher, d.1755, with roundel and achievements. Another similar,
to Martha Pilcher, d.1750. One to John Simons, d.1677, with incised arms
in spreading foliage. (J. Newman, North-east and East Kent, 1983 edn.)

Listing NGR: TR2246042965

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Peter's Church, Swingfield at Wikipedia
• St Peter's Church, Swingfield official website
• Wikidata Q7595294

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

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6