Church of St Peter

Details

BYWELL BYWELL NZ 0461 23/60 Church of St.Peter 15.4.69 GV I

Parish Church. Nave and parts of chancel Pre-Conquest, possibly C8. Chancel remodelled and south aisle built in early C13; west end shortened later C13 (probably after 1285 fire), tower and north chapel early C14. Alterations by Benjamin Ferrey in 1849 included rebuilding of south aisle and porch, and addition of vestry; further alterations 1873. Pre-Conquest parts squared stone with megalithic alternate quoins, chancel and north chapel squared stone, tower coursed rubble, C19 parts tooled squared stone. Leaded roofs to nave and chancel, Lakeland slates to south aisle, porch and vestry. Nave with west tower, 4-bay south aisle with porch and 2-bay north-east chapel; chancel with south chapel and north vestry.

Squat tower with chamfered set-back at mid-height on north and west. West wall shows doorway with chamfered arch and hood; to right blocked upper door with segmental relieving arch. Belfry openings are paired lancets except for crude square-headed east opening. Embattled parapet on hollow-chamfered string.

Steeply-gabled porch has trefoiled chamfered arch, stone benches and built-in cross slabs and sculptural fragments; chamfered doorway with part of moulded reconquest arch re-set above.

South aisle (continued eastwards as chapel) has stepped buttresses, single and paired lancets and older masonry in end walls with C19 windows. North wall of nave has 2 similar windows, stepped buttress at west end, traces of blocked openings and, at high level, 4 early round-headed windows with monolithic lintels, the western altered. North chapel has moulded plinth and parapet; 2-light north windows with Geometrical tracery under square heads; springings of unfinished chamfered arches. Ends of chapel have stepped buttresses and similar 4-light windows.

Chancel has chamfered plinth, sill band and traces of blocked south door. 3 lancets on south and triplet to east, all under hoodmoulds. Stepped clasping buttresses and low buttress beneath centre eastern lancet. North wall shows Lancet behind vestry and window further west of 2 trefoil-headed lights (monolithic head is re-used cross slab). At west end of wall blocked early door with inclined Escomb-fashion jambs and roof raggle of former gabled porticus above. Coped gables with finial crosses.

South arcade has pointed double-chamfered arches on tall round piers with moulded octagonal caps; hoodmould has crowned head as stop over central pier. Round-arched piscina in chancel. C19 detail in keeping. Low-side window of 2 square-headed lights now opening into south chapel. Re-sited shouldered doorway to vestry.

Interior of tower: west doorway of late C13 nave, with tall hoodmould, now opens into tower. Remains of 2 buttresses and lancet window of late C13 west front also visible.

Plain medieval font has circular bowl on moulded stem. C15 incised effigy of knight under trapdoor in north chapel. 3 elaborate Baroque candelabra in chancel. Late C19 glass in north chapel; series of saints, all to members of Wailes family and perhaps by Wailes the glassmaker of Saltwell Park. Similar glass in chancel.

Pre-Conquest church was of unusual size; partially-exposed footings suggest attendant porticus and other structures. The incomplete arches to the north may have been intended to link the church with monastic buildings. Bishop Egbert of Lindisfarne was consecrated at Bywell, probably in this church, on 11 June 802.

H.M. and J. Taylor, 'Anglo-Saxon Architecture' Vol I (1965) 122-126.

Listing NGR: NZ0492661427

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

239821

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Taylor, H M, J, , Anglo Saxon Architecture, (1965), 122-126

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.