Details
PALGRAVE A143 (NORTH SIDE)
TM 1178
5/50 Church of St. Peter
29.7.55
GV I
Parish church. C14 origins, C15 nave and south porch, early C18 chancel,
restored 1861 with addition of north aisle. Flint rubble, largely knapped,
some squared, with flushwork in south porch. Ashlar dressings. Red brick
plinth to chancel. Steeply pitched plaintiled roofs. Square west tower, long
nave with south porch, north aisle and porch, short chancel. 3 stage C14 west
tower is unbuttressed with ashlar quoining. To west lower stage 2-light Y
traceried window, second stage small round opening. String course to belfry
with louvred 2-light cusped openings, string course to embattled parapet with
corner pinnacles. To south and north clocks just below belfry above which are
gargoyles. Nave to south has 4 Perpendicular windows of 3 lights each,
restored. 2 stage buttresses, that to south east with a semi-octagonal
projection originally for rood stairs. C15 south porch was originally 2
storeys, upper chamber/armoury now removed. Ornate south elevation: fleurons
and crowns in mouldings of pointed entrance arch, shafted inner jambs, lions
stop outer moulding which encloses spandrels with reliefs of St. George and
the Dragon, flanking ogee headed niches, crocketed and pinnacled with arms
above, a quatrefoil frieze to upper storey with a 2-light window, panelled
flushwork throughout. 3 stage diagonal buttresses. Embattled parapet has
panelled flushwork, shields in octafoils flanking a central niche with
pinnacled canopy, ridge cross, octagonal pinnacles at angles and returns which
have 2-light Perpendicular windows. To west angle where porch meets nave a
canted stair projection. North aisle and porch of 1861, fenestration follows
C15 model with some flushwork on buttresses, plain parapet. Slightly lower
and narrower C18 chancel is unbuttressed with ashlar quoining, offset plinth.
Round headed windows with shallow chamfered reveals, C19 Y tracery, to east a
blocked oculus below gable parapet with kneelers, ridge cross. To north and
south coved eaves cornice. Interior: early C14 chancel arch, triple hollow
moulded with triple shafted responds, ring capitals and bases. C14 tower arch
has a chamfer dying into plain responds. C19 5-bay north arcade, double
hollow moulded pointed arches, quatrefoil piers. Fine nave roof of 10 bays.
Single hammerbeam, arched braces meeting without collars and continuing
directly onto hammerbeams, braces from stone mask corbels to hammerbeams, wall
plates brattished with leaf ornament. Moulded with original painted
decoration throughout, tracery and star patterning. Chancel roof is a barrel
vault with coving to timber cornice. North aisle lean-to roof with bosses,
mask corbels. Nave south wall small piscina with chamfered round arched head.
Stairs to porch upper chamber now a cupboard. Late C12 font, square limestone
bowl with masks in high relief at corners, crosses on each face, octagonal
stem, colonnettes at angles with scalloped capitals, ringed bases. Over south
door hangs some parish armour. Royal Arms of Victoria dated 1850 over tower
arch. Pews, choir stalls, pulpit and reading desk all of 1861, organ dated
1907. In south porch on west wall a tablet memorial to antiquary and
historian of Thetford, T. Martin, F.A.S., d.1771, erected by Sir J. Fenn;
inscribed round slate slab in square marble surround with cornice, arms below,
an urn above. Late C18 and early C19 wall slabs on nave and north aisle
walls, some floor slabs. Wall slabs of c.1800 on chancel external walls.
Listing NGR: TM1156278465
