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Description

SK 84 NW CLAYPOLE TOWN STREET (north west side) 2/14 Church of St. Peter 20.9.66 G.V. I Parish church. c.1300, C14, C15, 1631, C17, C19. Ashlar, some rendering with ashlar dressings, lead roofs. Cruciform plan with west tower with spire, nave with north and south aisles, south porch, transepts, rectangular chancel, north vestry. Tower of 4 stages, the 2 lower of c.1300, the 2 upper of C15. Lower stages embraced by early C14 aisles, and flanked by narrow buttresses of c.1300 which lead into broader C15 buttresses above. West front of first stage has a Y traceried window with hood mould and prominent head label stops. 2nd stage has single small pointed lights on west and south sides. Third stage has small rectangular openings containing single quatrefoils on west, north and south sides. On east side, nave's original steep pitched roof line visible. Bell chamber openings on all 4 sides, each of 2 lights with transom surmounted by quatrefoil and with hood mould. Diamond frieze set beneath battlements. Ornate pinnacles and projecting gargoyles at each corner. C15 octagonal spire with 2 tiers of ornate lucarnes in alternating directions, crockets and finial. North aisle has early C14 west window of 2 cusped lights and intersecting ogee tracery with hood mould and head label stops. Corner buttress to west of 3 stages. Moulded plinth and string course run full length of nave. On aisle roof is small bell turret and underneath a blocked C13 doorway with plain chamfered moulding, ornate foliated capitals and hood mould. To east of door 2 early C14 windows, each of 3 lights with intersecting ogee tracery, hood moulds and label stop heads. Moulded eaves with corbel heads. Clerestorey of 5 narrow early C14 buttresses set between 4 windows, the 3 to the west of 3 lights, that over transept of 2 lights, all with intersecting tracery. Moulded eaves with corbel heads above, frieze of shields, battlements and ornate pinnacles. North transept has small C14 buttresses and C15 moulded string course on north and east sides. Early C14 window of 3 lights with intersecting ogee tracery, hood mould and head label stops, set in east side. C15 chancel restored on exterior in C19. Heavy moulded plinth and string course. 2 large windows on both north and south sides each of 3 lights with ornate mouchettes above, hood moulds and head and grotesque animal label stops. 3 buttresses each of 3 stages on north and south sides. On north side the central and eastern buttresses are split to allow C15 vestry to fit between, so that lower stages are some feet to north of upper stages against the wall. Vestry window to east is pointed, with C19 tracery, hood mould and head label stops. Large pointed east window of 5 lights with perpendicular tracery, hood mould and head label stops. It is flanked by 2 large buttresses of 3 stages. Small light in gable, coping and finial. C14 eastern nave gable has C15 frieze of shields, battlements and pinnacles with empty niches set beneath. The original roof line of chancel or earlier chancel visible with blocked doorway above. In south side of chancel is a small elaborately moulded C15 doorway. In west corners of north and south transepts are parts of C14 nave's eastern buttresses with fragmentary human and animal sculptures. East side of south transept has moulded string course running under a C15 window of 3 cusped ogee lights with continuous mullions and surmounted by 6 small cusped lights under a 4 centred hood mould with ornate finial and head label stops. Battlements, ornate pinnacles and projecting gargoyles decorate the top. South transept probably remodelled in C15 from a detached Lady Chapel built c.1275. South front is flanked by 2 C15 four stage angle buttresses. Beneath rendering is a fragmentary C13 plinth. The stub of C13 buttress and a blocked and plastered C13 doorway with fragmentary label stops and the remnants of C13 string course are all set beneath a large C15 window of 4 lights with ogee tracery and 8 small trefoil headed lights under 4 centred hood moulds with olive branch and eagle label stops. West side of transept has C15 moulded string course under single C13 lancet with hood mould and simple label stops. South side of aisle has pronounced C15 plinth and string course and 2 large C14 windows each of 3 cusped lights surmounted by intersecting ogees, hood moulds and head label stops. C14 porch has C15 ornamentation, a moulded plinth and string course, angle buttresses of 2 stages with large projecting gargoyles and ornate pinnacles. C14 moulded doorway with small semicircular responds with vigorously foliated capitals and hood mould and label stops. Above is a large C15 empty niche. Inside, the porch has stone benches and corbel that once supported a lower roof, one with the date inscribed 1631. C14 west door has columnar responds, vigorously foliated capitals, a moulded arch including a filleted roll and hood mould with head label stops. C14 wooden door with blind ogee tracery, cusping and elaborate finials. South aisle west of porch has moulded plinth, string course and C14 window with intersecting ogee tracery over 3 cusped lights, hood mould and head label stops. Corbel heads decorate eaves. South clerestorey has, to the east, a small early C14 window of 2 lights with intersecting ogee tracery. Over the transept, the original steep pitch of transept roof visible. To the west are 3 early C14 windows each of 3 lights with Y tracery, hood mould and head label stops. The windows are flanked by slender buttresses of 2 stages with ornate gables. Grotesque corbel heads decorate the eaves above which runs a C15 frieze of shields, battlements and ornate pinnacles. West window of south aisle is of 3 lights with early C14 intersecting tracery. Interior tower arch has triple responds with stiff leaf capitals on south side and vigorously foliated capitals on north side. A moulded pointed arch and head label stop intact to south. Above the arch is evidence for an early roof line predating the early C14 clere- storey. Nave of 3 bays with larger transept bay to east. Piers of c.1300 of 4 shafts with vigorously foliated capitals alternating with 4 slender shafts without capitals or bases. Double chamfered pointed arches with corbel heads in spandrels. Early C14 clerestorey windows have hood moulds and head label stops. C15 panelled wood ceiling with rosettes supported on stone corbels. South wall of south transept has 3 C13 sedilia and 2 aumbrys. The late C13 doorway is blocked to the west. On the west wall next to the narrow C13 light with hood mould and head label stops is the fragmentary hood mould of either a C13 blocked winow or blind arcade. A string course runs beneath. The pointed double chamfered early C14 chancel arch has caryatid figures on each side set on the triple responds that have vigorously foliated capitals. A moulded string course runs beneath the chancel windows. In the south wall is an ornate C15 sedilia with ogee arches, cusping, crockets, shields, heads and battlements. To the east is a C15 piscina under single cusped ogee arch. In north wall is an aumbry with elaborate mouldings and filleted rolls. Doorway leading to north vestry is richly moulded with fillets, hood mould and label stop heads. On the east wall a large corbel is set in wall. C19 wooden roof. Early C18 altar rail. C14 screen of 3 panels restored in C19. It has ogee tracery with rosettes, a central 4-centred arch with elaborate cusping. C14 pulpit restored in C19, with similar tracery and rosettes as on screen decorating 5 panels and a 2 panelled door. Ornate octagonal hood and pulpit supported by a large octagonal wooden column. C14 hexagonal font with ogee traceried panels, ornate gables and pinnacles. C19 pews. Various small C18 and C19 monuments. Listing NGR: SK8455548997

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