Church of St Peter

Details

TILTON ON THE HILL

SK 70 NW MAIN STREET (East Side)

1/109 Church of St. Peter

29.12.66

GV I

Parish Church. The fabric spans from the late C12 to C15. Well coursed ironstone rubble with limestone dressings. West tower and spire, nave with clerestory and 2 aisles, chancel. Tower of 3 stages, with angle quoins. Lowest stages probably late C12 with south doorway and lancet window to west. Lancets also in second stage. Paired C13 lights with plate tracery to bell chamber above. Embattled parapet with gargoyles, and recessed spire of C14, with 2 tiers of lucarnes. Clerestory is Perpendicular, with large 3-light windows with transoms forming 2 tiers. Continuous hoodmould. Parapet. South aisle is late C13 with 3 south windows of 3 stepped lancets, and west window of 3 lancets with foiled circle above. South door is a simply chamfered archway with hoodmould and string-course acting as capital. The porch is probably C15 or C16, 4-centred archway in squared hoodmould with coped gable, and sun dial in apex. South aisle is very wide with shallow pitched roof, and parapet with corbel table which continues across east and west gables. Buttresses capped by pinnacles, and gargoyles, all this detail a Perpendicular re-working. Also Perpendicular is the large 4-light east window. All windows have hoodmoulds with corbel heads.

Chancel dates partly from late C12, with a priest's door of that date, a small round archway. All other details are Perpendicular: low side window to south, 3-light north window, both with transoms. South east window of 3-lights is square headed. East window of 3-lights with transom forming 2 tiers. Parapet and corbel table, angle buttresses. Buttressed north aisle with pinnacles, gargoyles and corbel table below parapet. Blocked late Decorated north doorway, a many chamfered archway. East window of 2 trefoiled lights, the others of 3-lights are Perpendicular.

Inside, late C12 tower arch no longer central to alignment of church, with shafted responds, with stiff leaf capitals and square abaci, and 3 steps to arch. Nave arcades of 5 bays, the south the earlier, and late C13. Square bases to octagonal piers, single chamfered arches with chamfered hoodmoulds with corbel heads resting on the abaci. North arcade is similar but slightly later with double chamfered arches and hoodmould springing from higher corbel heads. There is another carved head at the apex of each arch. 2 of the capitals are elaborately carved: 1 with winged angels heads, the other with creeping beasts, a lion, a monkey, a fox and a lamb. Nave roof has flat tie beams with bosses on struts springing from corbel heads. The roof timbers date from a restoration of 1854, but the bosses and corbel heads appear to be C15. C18 glazing in clerestory. Windows of south aisle are set in recesses with slender circular shafts, and are linked by a continuous sill course. C18 glazing to east window, and some fragments of medieval glass. Double piscina with fluted basin set in paired lancets. Aumbry, with chamfered 2-centred arched tomb recess. Roof has cambered tie beam supported from corbel heads. North aisle roof is a lean-to with corbel heads.

Double chamfered chancel arch with semi-octagonal responds is not central to nave alignment (the alignment of the church must have been altered when one of the existing aisles was added). Although all the windows in the chancel are Perpendicular, the sedilia predates them and is late Decorated, with 3 cusped ogee arches. Piscina. C18 altar rails, simply turned. Wall memorial tablet, late C16 to Augustin Nichols and his wife, painted marble, with 2 kneeling figures at a Prie Dieu in an aedicule with 12 children, 3 in shrouds, surmounted by strap work with human profiles, and a shield of arms. Large C17 tomb chest with heraldic emblems in high relief on each side, to William Nichols, d. 1625.

Other monuments to members of Digby family, 2 between south aisle and nave, to Sir John Digby and his wife, 1269. Chest tombs with large effigies: the knight is in chain mail with crossed legs and drawn sword. His wife lies with one arm by her side, one hand clutching a handkerchief, and has a very flat face with incised features. Both retain some fragments of colour. Against the south wall is the tomb of Sir Everard Digby, d.1509. Heavily sculpted knight's effigy on base with shields in quatrefoils with inscription.

Stone Victorian pulpit, 1854. C12 font, base with 8 circular shafts and square basin with chamfered corners, carved like a cushion capital.

Listing NGR: SK7434405655

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

190637

Legacy System:

LBS

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