Description

ARNESBY
SP69 SW ST. PETER'S ROAD (East Side)

1/8 Church of St. Peter

11.1.55

GV II*

Parish Church. Partially C12, though exterior is no earlier than late C13,
and has several later additions. The Church was enlarged in 1828 (north
aisle) and restored in 1866 by W. Millican. Largely cobblestone construction,
with limestone dressings, but the tower is of coursed and squared limestone
throughout. Slate roofs to north aisle and chancel, leaded elsewhere. West
tower, nave with 2 aisles and clerestory, chancel. Tower is of c1300; tall 2
stages with angle buttresses which terminate in pinnacles to the embattled
parapet. Wide and many-shafted west doorway, with outer hood mould with
corbel heads. The shafts themselves look renewed, but the arch mouldings are
original. 3-light window over doorway and crocketed niche above. Paired
lights to bell chamber. Stair turret in south east angle. Buttressed south
aisle of c1300. Cobble with 2 ashlar bands. Doorway in 2-centred archway,
and Y-traceried west window. 2-light Decorated south east window with
3-lights to east, both Victorian renewals. 1 lancet in south wall probably
original. Paired clerestory lights and the parapet above are probably
Victorian remodellings. Chancel is early C14. Low side windows to south west
and north west with heavy transomed, 2-centred arched priests door to south,
and coarse Perpendicular tracery in south windows. Decorated, but renewed
east window with 4-lights of reticulated tracery. Coped east gable with cross
finial. In the gable apex, C14 statue of St. Peter in a niche, with keys and
blessing hand, very worn. North vestry with gathered chimney in the medieval
style. North aisle and doorway largely a re-building of 1829 incorporating
fabric of earlier aisle. Inside, the Early English tower arch is very steep,
and double chamfered with inner cylindrical shafts. Steeply pitched profile
of original roof visible above it, with 1 foiled light in gable. Another
blocked window is outside the original gable line, and partially cut by the
present roof. Nave arcade of 3 bays. 2 western bays are early C12: high
square bases support sturdy low cylindrical shafts with scalloped capitals and
overhanging square abaci. The third bay on each side is later: probably late
C13 though the southern bay seems the earlier of the two, with filleted
responds, and semi octagonal responds to north. Possibly this was an
extension of the church to the east, since between the bays is a section of
straight wall which may have been the respond to the original chancel arch.
Roof possibly C15: king post with struts from tie beams on braces, with
wooden bosses. Inner archway of north door is a 2-centred archway contained
in a far taller, narrow in proportion, round headed arch. Deeper sill of
original east north aisle window is visible, and a small foiled piscina is
along side it. South doorway is contained in an only slightly cambered arch.
Double chamfered chancel arch dies into wall without corbels or responds.
Curiously mannered priests door with shouldered lintel: perhaps it is C16.
Its hood mould forms part of a continuous sill band. Cusped ogee arched
sedilia with double piscina along side. This has trefoiled niches with
quatrefoil panels above. Foiled Easter sepulchre to north. Chancel fittings,
including the heavy wood pulpit are all of 1866. Font is C13: roughly
chamfered circular basin on plain base with Victorian pyramidal wood cover.
Stained glass is all by the samd hand, unattributed, it is in the style of the
studio of Heaton, Butler and Bayne. West tower window, 2 south aisle windows
and south chancel windows, 1863 to 1874, similar style throughout with large
portrait figures of saints and prophets etc., with narrative scenes relating
to the main figures below.

Listing NGR: SP6171892170

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17539875

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets