History

The earliest parts of church are possibly of Celtic and Saxon origins, maybe c1080 but all that remains visible is the characteristic herringbone work revealed internally. So much of the fabric is rendered that dating is very difficult, but the opposed North and South doors do suggest that the nave was rebuilt in the C12 as a Norman church. The chancel, including the priest's door, is older than its inserted Perpendicular windows, and other similar Monmouthshire chancels are c1300. The tower is probably Norman also, but heightened and given the broach spire probably early in the C14. The north porch was added in c1500 and the south porch is a Victorian rebuild, presumably of a similar existing porch. The church was restored in 1824 when the vestry was built and in 1861-2 by J Prichard and J Seddon when the south wall of the nave with the porch were rebuilt and the red sandstone windows were inserted. There has been little further change since then but the church has been the subject of regular flooding and has required repairs as a consequence.

Exterior

Rendered and limewashed nave, north porch, vestry and tower; the chancel and the south porch are red sandstone random rubble; all the roofs are stone slates. Nave, chancel, west tower, north and south porches, north vestry.
Four bay nave. The south wall has a 2-light Decorated window with trefoil headed lights and quatrefoil in the head. Next the steeply gabled porch with pointed arch with dripmould, coped gable and apex cross; small windows in returns. A second 2-light window in the manner of the first, but this one is a Victorian replacement in red sandstone. Three light Perpendicular style window with square head and dripmould. Coped east gable with cross. The north wall has two 2-light windows as before in the outer bays; between them a gabled vestry and a smaller gabled porch of similar appearance.
The west tower is clasped by the nave. Strongly battered base with two rendered stages and revealed rubble belfry. Small pointed east window to ringing chamber; rectangular north and south louvred openings to balance chamber. Cornice below bell-stage which has a pointed opening to each face, cornice parapet, stumpy square to octagonal stone built spire with ball finial.
The chancel is in two bays with heavy corner buttresses and central buttress on north wall. The south wall has a lancet window to the left of a priest's door. Two-light window with cusped lights under 4-centred head to right. The roof line is lower than the nave, coped east gable with apex cross. East wall with 3--light Perpendicular style window with cusped lights and quatrefoil head. The north wall has a 2-light window to left and lancet to right as before.

Interior

The oldest feature is the small revealed patch of herring-bone masonry in the north nave wall which may indicate C11 Saxon origins. The whole of the rest of the interior is plastered and painted except for the features that are part of the Victorian restoration, and the fine late Norman style chancel arch which is also a restoration of 1861. Plaster wagon-vaulted roofs on timber wall-plates. The furnishings are Victorian except for the early C18 Communion Rail with turned balusters, the tub font from the Chapel of St. Michael and the Royal Arms dated 1711. Some good late C18 and early C19 memorials, including one to the Griffins of Newton Court in the Chancel. There are said to be four bells c1420, 1674, 1678 and 1876. Window by Seddon, 1862 among others.

Reasons for Listing

Included and highly graded as one of Monmouth's three medieval parish churches.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• St Peter's Church at Wikipedia
• St Peter's Church official website
• Wikidata Q1291102

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

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)