Church of St Peter
CHURCH OF ST PETER, CHURCH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1159708
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-1988
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Peter
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST PETER, CHURCH STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-11
- Reference:
- IOE01/01208/02
- Rights:
- © Mr Brian Wilcockson. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1159708
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-1988
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Peter
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST PETER, CHURCH STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST PETER, CHURCH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- County Durham (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Spennymoor
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 22574 33724
Details
NZ 23 SW SPENNYMOOR CHURCH STREET
(East side)
Byers Green
5/36 (inset)
Church of St Peter
GV
II
Parish church. 1844-1845 by G Y Wall, land agent, Durham (not Mr. Watts as
stated in C19 histories). Paid for by the Bishop of Durham, with a grant from
the Incorporated Society for Building and Repairing Churches. Coursed squared
sandstone with ashlar dressings and plinth; Welsh slate roof with stone gable
copings and stone ridge. Nave with west porch; chancel with north vestry.
Gabled porch contains double boarded doors with elaborate hinges in 2-centred-
arched surround with pyramid-stopped chamfer; blind trefoil in gable peak;
fleur-de-lys finial. Beak head-stopped dripmoulds over flanking lancet
windows; quatrefoil light in central projection which rises from porch and
supports gabled bellcote with chamfered round arch under fleur-de-lys finial.
Lancets paired in 3-bay nave, and paired in west bay of 2-bay chancel; 3
stepped east lancets; sill string; dripmoulds; high, coped buttresses,
clasping at corners. Gable copings rest on double-roll-moulded kneelers;
stone cross finials.
INTERIOR: Painted plaster above boarded dado, with ashlar dressings; queen-
post roof and scissor-trussed chancel roof on chamfered stone corbels.
Widely-chamfered chancel arch. One step to chancel, one to sacristy and one to
altar. Chancel floor tiled in medieval style. Gothic-style organ, the gift
of James Watson Hick, rector 1845-1875. Gothic-lettered 'Our Father' frieze,
and motto over chancel arch. Gothic arcaded communion rail. C20 panelled
reredos partly obscures windows. Original pews, with fleur-de-lys finials at
both ends of rails; 4 front pews panelled with moulding. East window memorial,
probably late C19/early C20, with groups of saints in flowing composition;
flanking lancets, in north and south walls, are Byzantine-style figures of
Saints Peter and Andrew, probably by J. W. Hick, resited from original position
in east; paired south chancel lights contain Renaissance-style figures, one
Christ or God, with 3-rayed nimbus, the other with small scrolled label 'St.
John' in shield; both set in geometric glass and in strong colours. Nave
windows of varied style, several with medallion patterns, some with figures,
most mid-C19; one to John Robson of Durham, died 1857; another to his son
William Henry, (by Lawson of Newcastle), who died in an explosion in 1852,
aged 18, while investigating a problem in the colliery, where he was resident
manager. A remarkable set of mid C19 glass. Panelled wood pulpit has names
of rectors inscribed. Wood eagle lectern on Gothic pedestal, with brass
plaque saying it was carved by J.W. Hick; as were the poppyheads in the choir
in the style of Bishop Cosin. Square pedestal font, with waterleaf decoration,
transferred from Kirk Merrington Church of St. John the Evangelist (q.v.).
Monuments include classical-style black and white pedimented panel behind
pulpit, commemorating Rev. R. E. Hoopel, 1833-1895, Rector 1875-1895, whose
recognition of the importance of the Saxon church at Escomb brought it to the
attention of scholars for the first time.
Sources: W. Fordyce, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatinate of
Durham, Vol. I p.590.
H.C. Surtees, The History of the Parishes of Byers Green, (Mainsforth) 1922.
Durham County Record Office EP/BG,26 (plan and elevations).
Geo. Walker, Durham Directory and Almanack for 1846.
Listing NGR: NZ2257433724
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 112242
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Walker, G, Durham Directory and Almanack, (1846)
Surtees, H C, The History of the Parish of Byers Green, (1922)
Fordyce, W, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatinate of Durham, (1857), 590
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 02-Jul-2026 at 10:02:00.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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