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

• Wikidata Q17539875

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Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)