Description

SK 4379
11/71

PARISH OF ECKINGTON
CHURCH STREET
The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul

I
Anglican Church. C12 with additions and alterations in C13, C14, C15 and 1763 internal restoration during the C19 and external remodelling together with refurnishings by P.H Currey in 1907. Ashlar and coursed rubble coal measures sandstone, with ashlar dressings, moulded plinths, coped gables, that to the chancel with a cross finial slate and stone slate roof coverings, and a C20 sheet metal covering to the nave. West tower with parapet and octagonal spire, nave, north and south aisles, south aisle porch, chancel with organ chamber and vestry to the north wall.

Tower: late C12, broad and of three stages, each delineated by a moulded string course. Clasping buttresses with shallow steps rise to bell stage. Shallow plain parapet with moulded string course. Clasping buttresses with shallow steps rise to bellstage. Shallow plain parapet with moulded coping, and ashlar octagonal spire with lucarnes, all early C14. Tower west elevation. Wide west doorway of three orders, with early English detailing to shafts, but with a semicircular arch. The shafts, fluted capitals and arch are severely weathered. The doorway has plain studded oak plank doors, with a semicircular wrought-iron grill to the arch head. The first tower stage has twin lancets, beneath hoodmoulds, the second stage has a narrow lancet, the third triple lancets beneath linked hoodmoulds. Small slit windows light tower stair in north west corner, entered by a plain doorway on the tower north wall, which has an oak door with intersecting tracery decoration. Tower south elevation with blocked full-width pointed arch, formerly serving extension to aisle, now with shallow four-centred arch headed window. Above, a square sundial, a lancet to second stage, below octagonal clock face.

Five bay south aisle, ashlar, rising from earlier two stage plinth. Tall three-light aisle windows, with voussoirs to semicircular heads, with substantial cill band and a moulded string course linking the arched window heads. Moulded coping to shallow aisle parapet. South aisle porch 1763 by John Platt of Rotherham of rusticated ashlar, with pediment to semicircular headed doorway, which has voussoirs and a keyblock. Plain plinth with roll moulding. Moulded door surround with impost band and ornamental ironwork screen to arch head, above double doors with panelled bases and intersecting gothic openwork bars above, all metal.

Five bay nave with restored flat-headed Perp, two-light ogee headed clerestory windows, their heads linked by a stringcourse. Between the windows are attached shafts linked with the string course, which rise to the level of the crenellated ashlar parapet and which formerly supported pinnacles. The hoods to the windows have dropped returns with stops. Three bay chancel restored C19 with two three-light and one single light window with moulded string course forming hoodmould. Priest doorway with C18 quoined surround, flat lintel with projecting keyblock and a nine-panel oak door. C19 diagonal buttresses, with crocketed finals to east end, coped chancel gable with cross finial, and C19 Perp style six-light east window, with panel tracery beneath a four centred arch.

C18 vestry and C19 organ chamber, the former with two-light flush mullioned windows, and with C19 copings, quoined doorway with shallow four centred arch head, and two lancets flanked by a single hoodmould, with a plaque between. Organ chamber with two storey gable, having a blocked doorway. Above lintel, a small slit window, and a two-light cusped window above.

Five bay north aisle rising from a two stage moulded plinth. Three two-light Perp window with quoined surrounds, shallow arched heads, and cusped semicircular headed lights with mouchette to apex. Moulded string course at cill level and a chamfered band above the window heads. C18 ashlar parapet. Two shallow stepped buttresses which rise to band course level, and a more substantial stepped buttress rising to parapet level at the west end. The central bay has a blocked doorway with wave mould to door surround, an arched head and a planked and studded door with blocking behind changed plinth moulding to the west of the doorway. West end bay with stone-framed doorway and oak door with intersecting cover strips. Clerestory to north aisle retains three unrestored C15 windows.

INTERIOR: stepped and chamfered tower arch, beneath a plain hood. Keeled responds to arch with plainly moulded square capitals, and keeled fillets to corners of outer arch support. Five bay nave with C12 arcades, the two eastern piers to each arcade circular, and early C12, the western piers octagonal, and late C12. The responds to the north aisle and the eastern north aisle pier have scalloped decoration to their capitals, the remaining columns have simple hollow-moulded capitals. Stepped and chamfered late C12 pointed chancel arch, with keeled responds and fillets, but with foliage capitals. The south side of the chancel arch has the blocked approach to the former rood loft stair, and a rood loft doorway above. The north side of the chancel arch has a double hagioscope. North aisle chapel to the Guild of the Blessed Virgin found in 1932, served by a three-light Dec window with reticulated tracery, now blocked by the C19 organ chamber. Ogee headed aumbry to aisle north wall. Shallow C19 trussed roof with longitudinal braces to king posts. Chancel walls have C19 plain panelling and a cambered ribbed and panelled C19 roof.

FURNISHINGS: wooden screens to tower and chancel arches 1907, by Currey the latter with a coved canopy and drop tracery. C19 pews and pulpit with open quartrefoil panels below the handrail. C18 organ by John Snelzter of Passan, moved from a now demolished C18 west gallery into the present chancel organ chamber in 1878 with the accompanying mutilation of the C12 keel moulding. Late C17 alter rail with turned and carved balusters and a moulded handrail. Carved wooden reredos, 1908, on a Hoptonwood marble base, incorporating a contemporary copy of Carracci's 'Pieta' given by Sir Sitwell Sitwell to commemorate his wife, Alice. Hatchment above blocked north aisle doorway carries the Royal Coat of Arms. Charity boards to west end aisles.

MONUMENTS: chancel north wall. Rectangular framed wall tablet with achievement to Francis Stringer d.1727, rectangular wall tablet to William Sitwell d.1776, Mary Sitwell d.1792, Francis Sitwell d.1793 and Hurt Sitwell d.1830.Classical column memorial by White Watson to Sir Sitwell Sitwell d.1811, and Caroline Sitwell d.1800. Wall tablet to Alice Sitwell d.1797. Aedicule wall monument to George Sitwell d.1667 and his wife Margaret d.1658. Wall tablet to Francis Sitwell d.1671. Chancel south wall. Cartouche memorial to Thomas Barlow d.1694. Set of chairs and one C17 bench in nave and chancel.

Listing NGR: SK4320479788

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17525669

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
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  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
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  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
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  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)