Details
TL 73 NW STAMBOURNE CHURCH ROAD
5/14 Parish Church
21/6/62 of St. Peter
and St. Thomas(formerly
listed as Church of
GV St Peter)
I
Parish church, late Cll and later. Walls of flint and pebble rubble, with
dressings of limestone, clunch and Roman brick, roofed with handmade red clay
tiles and lead. W tower late Cll, nave C14, N arcade early C15, chancel, N
aisle and N chapel late C15, S porch C16, restoration C19. The Chancel has an E
window of 5 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 4-centred head, with moulded
external reveals and label. In the N wall _is a 4-centred arch of 2 hollow-
chamfered orders, the responds moulded, with semi-circular shafts and moulded
capitals. The E capital is carved with a helm, mantling and shield of arms for
MacWilliam. Further E is a square-headed squint. In the S wall are 2 windows
each of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 4-centred head, the sill of the
more easterly carried down to form a seat. Between them is a doorway with
chamfered jambs, 4-centred arch, moulded label and chamfered 2-centred rear-
arch. There is a piscina to the E of the more easterly window with 4-centred
head, drain missing, and another in the W splay of the same window, with
trefoiled head and remains of drain. The chancel arch is 2-centred, of 2
moulded orders on the W side, 2 chamfered orders on the E side; the chamfered
responds have each a semi-octagonal shaft with moulded capital and base. The
roof of the chancel, early C16, is in 3 bays with moulded purlins and
principals, arch-braced to the collars, plastered above. The spandrels are
carved with the legend 'Espoir me confort' and the Macwilliam insignia. The
Nave has an early C15 N arcade of 3 bays; the 2-centred arches are of 2 orders,
the outer moulded and the inner chamfered; the columns are octagonal, with
moulded capitals and bases; the responds have attached half-columns. In the S
wall is a late C15 window of 4 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 4-centred
head; the external reveals and label are moulded. Further W is the C14 S
doorway with moulded jambs, 2-centred arch and label. The roof of the nave is
Plastered in 7 cants, with 3 roll-moulded tiebeams set on wall-pieces with arch
braces, the spandrels carved with foliage. One tiebeam is severed for the
chancel arch. The N chapel has in the N wall a window and doorway uniform with
tile windows and doorway of the chancel. The door is original, of 2 vertical
planks with moulded fillet covering the join, planked horizontally inside, with
stock lock, pistol bolt and Suffolk latch. In the W wall is a 4-centred arch of
2 continuously moulded orders; the responds have moulded bases rebated for a
former screen and the inner order has filled mortices for its horizontal
members. S of the arch is a round-headed squint. The chapel is ceiled with
roll-moulded beams and wallplates, and joists of horizontal section originally
plastered to the soffits, now exposed, early C16. The N aisle has in the N wall
2 windows each of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a 4-centred arch; the
external reveals and label are moulded. There are original wrought iron grills
on the outside. Further W is the N doorway, with jambs and 4-centred arch of 2
moulded orders. In the W wall is a window similar to those in the N wall. The
roof is of shallow double pitch, the principals and wallplates roll-moulded with
spiral-leaf carving, the joists roll-moulded, with wooden panels. The spandrels
are carved with foliage and shields, 2 with the, MacWilliam motto 'Espoir me
confort'. The W tower is square and unusually massive, in 3 stages, undivided
externally. The quoins are partly of Roman bricks, partly of limestone. The
parapet is crenellated and has 2 grotesque gargoyles on the S side and one on
the N side. It is of the late Cll, but the upper part of the NW angle has been
reconstructed with ashlar, and vertical cracks in the N and S walls have been
stitched with limestone blocks. The stilted semi-circular tower-arch is plain;
the responds have enriched imposts, dogtooth and billet on the N and simple
reeding on the S. In the lower stage the N and S walls have blocked loops
composed of Roman bricks and opus signum. The late C14 W window is of 2
trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a segmental-pointed head. The second
stage has in both the S and W walls 2 Cll windows with jambs and semi-circular
heads of 2 orders of Roman brick;with C19 stone lights. In the N wall, E of
the centre line, is a similar window but of one order. The bell-chamber has in
each wall one C15 window of 2 cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a 2-
centred head. The S porch is mid-C16, mainly of brick, cement-rendered
externally and plastered internally. The 4-centred outer archway is of 2
orders, the outer arch hollow-chamfered externally and the inner arch moulded,
resting on semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals. This stonework
is early C15, reset, the responds partly of brick. The E and W walls have each a
C16 window of 2 pointed lights in a 4-centred head with moulded label, all of
brick. There are 5 elaborately carved niches: (1) in the E respond of the N
arch of the chancel, with cinquefoiled head and flanking buttresses, (2) in
nave, in E splay of window in S wall, a pair, one above the other, with vaulted
canopies of tabernacle work, the lower niche with foliated pedestal, the upper
with shield of arms for MacWilliam (3) in the N aisle, in the E splay of the
easternmost window, a similar pair but plainer, all early C16. There is a stoup
in the nave, E of the S doorway, with rough ogee head, bowl cut away, C16.
There is a substantial area of early C16 glass in the E window of the chancel,
kneeling figure of woman at prayer desk, with heraldic mantle charged with the
coat of MacWilliam, and tunic with the arms of Hartishorn, kneeling figure of
man in armour with tabard charged with the arms of MacWilliam and Englowes, and
other shields of arms hung on trees or held by figures; and fragments in the SW
window of the chancel - thumbscrew badge, white rose, etc. In the chancel there
is a floor-slab to Colonel John Farewell, deputy-governor of the Tower, 1710,
and one to M.H., 1816. There are 5 bells, the first by Thomas Draper of
Thetford, 1583, the second, fourth and fifth by Henry Pleasant, 1705. The font
has a stem with traceried and cinquefoiled panels, late C15/early C16, and C19
bowl. The pulpit is semi-hexagonal with plain panels, early C18, the stem made
up from early C17 panelling. RCHM 1.
Listing NGR: TL7210538858
