Description

WALPOLE ST. PETER CHURCH ROAD
TF 5016

14/57 Church of St. Peter
11.8.51

G.V. I

Parish church. Early C14 base of west tower. Remainder of late C14
comprising nave, aisles and chancel. Restored 1898. Ashlar with lead
roofs. 4 stage tower, externally of 3 stages. Angle buttresses with
polygonal stair turret to south-west. Arched west door with undercut
mouldings below string course. 2-light arched west window of early C14.
In buttresses to right and left one trefoiled statuary niche. Lancets to
ringing chamber. String course below 2-light transomed belfry windows.
Crenellated parapet with gargoyles. Aisles with stepped side buttresses,
angled at corners. 3-light aisle windows with embattled transoms and rising
supermullions, 4-light to east and west ends. Crenellated parapets to
aisles and clerestory, all with panelling and corbel tables, the latter
studded at intervals with animal head gargoyles. 2-light closely set
clerestory windows under stilted arches, each window separated by stepped
pilasters of such- weight as to appear as flat buttresses. Elaborate 2
storey early C15 south porch with stepped side buttresses and angle
buttresses to south face. Heads of buttresses gabled. 4-centred arched
opening below square hood, the spandrels with punched roundels containing
coats of arms. Above is frieze containing 9 bay arcade of cusped arches
also with heraldic devices. 3-light window lights upper room and is flanked
by canopied statuary niches to right and left. Crenellated parapet with
panelled arcading obscures gabled roof. 2 2-light side windows to each
storey. Vault of porch in 2 bays with moulded tierceron ribs, the bosses
carved with religious scenes and animal and figurative motifs. Inner south
door arched and moulded. Original double timber doors with tiers of carved
arcading. Simple north gabled porch with crenellated parapet. Square
corner pinnacles with crockets. Diagonal buttressing and one window to
east and west faces. Polygonal rood stair turrets to nave east wall with
roll moulded edges and spirelets. Bell cote at gable head. 5 bay chancel
with stepped buttresses, angled to east. 3-light arched Perpendicular
windows stepping up to east end. Crenellated parapet with panelled
arcading. Over east buttresses a square pinnacle. 7-light east window.
Beneath east bay of chancel a vaulted passageway in shape of a depressed
4-centred arch. 2 bay tierceron vault with bosses of foliage and some
figurative carving. Interior. 7 bay arcade of quatrefoil piers on moulded
polygonal bases and with polygonal moulded capitals. The piers have fillets
to the cardinal points. Arches of roll mouldings. Nave roof of moulded
tie beams on arched braces dropping on wall posts to head corbels. Moulded
curved Queen struts rise to moulded principals. One tier butt purlins and
ridge piece. North aisle roof of alternating large and small arched braces
to principals. 2 tiers butt purlins. South aisle roof 1812. Stilted tower
arch with double hollow chamfers. Internal corbels carved with grotesque
figures. C17 timber screen extends across nave and aisles at west end.
3 doorways with pediments. Arched leaf trail panelling runs below openwork
balustrade of turned shafts in turn below frieze of continuous circles with
floral patterns. Early C17 tower gallery with turned balusters. Roll
moulded chancel arch on circular responds. Ogee headed doorways to rood
stairs. Dado of C15 rood screen survives in 6 bays right and left of
central opening, each bay with painted figures of saints and apostles.
South chancel arch pier with 3-light arched window from rood stairs looking
down into chancel. Chancel dado of cinquefoil roll moulded arcade, each
bay of which has miniture rib vault. String course runs beneath chancel
windows. Between each window a nodding ogee canopy with pierced arcading
sits above a statuary niche. Shallow niche to right and left of east window
also with canopy. Stepped sedilia and piscina in south wall with mutilated
rib vaulted canopies. Plain 1812 chancel roof of 2 tiers butt purlins
intersecting with principals on arched braces. Several chancel stalls
survive with poppyhead ends, animal arm rests and misericords. One
particularly fine misericord with pelican pecking its own breast. Beneath
a canopied niche on south chancel wall a monument to Robert Butler 1632.
Marble with inscription panel predella below effigy of Robert Butler
kneeling before altar. Pair of Composite columns support carved
entablature. Nave with fine set of C18 box pews and C17 benches. In south
aisle 3 tiers of benches largely made of fragments of different periods.
Pierced C15 bench backs inserted into C17 poppyhead bench ends or vice
versa. Evidence of C19 restoration. Fine hexagonal pulpit dated 1620
standing on slender timber stem. Panelled sides with arcaded bottom rail.
Fielded diamond panels below upper arched panels, the arches enriched by
foliage carving. Moulded cornice. Curving stairs bend round nave pier
against which pulpit is erected. Above is tester with frieze and drop
pendants. Octagonal font dated 1532 with stem and bowl carved with ogee
headed panels. Early C17 timber rim buffet font cover in 3 stages. Console
lower rail. Centre stage of paired carved pilasters framing arcaded panels.
Tapering pinnacle with strapwork cornice below pierced arabesque work.
C15 parclose screen between south aisle and south nave chapel. 5 bays with
ogee tracery heads each of 2 subsidiary lights. 4 tracery arches in each
dado bay. Chandelier in nave 1701. Brass. Central shaft of ball and
baluster turnings terminating in globe and ball pendant. 2 tiers of
opposing curved circular section arms. Poor box stands on turned baluster,
the box inscribed on 3 sides : Remember the Poore 1639.

Listing NGR: TF5021216879

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Peter's Church, Walpole St Peter at Wikipedia
• St Peter's Church, Walpole St Peter official website
• Wikidata Q7595298

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

• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)