Parish Church of St Peter

Details

SY 78 NW WEST KNIGHTON

6/73 Parish Church of St Peter 26.1.56 I GV

Parish Church, C12 church of which only the chancel arch, adjacent walling and parts of nave north wall survive. C13, chancel rebuilt and nave lengthened towards west south arcade and aisle added, lower part of-west tower built. C14, north porch added, and subsequently rebuilt. C15, nave heightened and windows inserted in the north wall, upper part of the tower completed. C16 enlargement of south aisle to form south chapel. C18, west part of the aisle destroyed and arches blocked. Church restored in 1893-4, under Thomas Hardy's supervision, when vestry probably added. Stone rubble walls with some flint. Roofs of stone slates, lead and tiles. Chancel plinth on the east wall only. East window is probably C14 with mullions and tracery removed. North wall has a doorway with chamfered two centred head and chamfered jambs; single small lancet. Nave has at the east end of the north wall a shallow C12 buttress, wall heightened above weathered offset and moulded string. West of the porch a projecting base course indicates probably extent of C12 nave. C17 rebuilding of north wall and C13 west wall with later buttress hiding the junction. A C15 window east of porch has 3 lights with restored panel tracery. A similar window to the west is reset and restored. The south arcade has four segmental pointed arches, of two chamfered orders, carried on circular piers with moulded capitals and chamfered bases. The doorway has a restored four centred head. The south chapel has a north arcade of two round arches springing from a chamfered rectangular pier and responds with chamfered imposts. East wall has a C13 lancet. South wall has a C16 window of 3 uncusped pointed lights in a square head. West wall has been rebuilt in flint, with a reset C13 lancet. West tower: divided externally into 3 stages by strings, and has a plain parapet with moulded coping. West wall has a restored lancet. Second stage has in each wall a window of two trefoiled lights with pierced spandrels in a square head. East wall has the weathering for former steeper nave roof, before the nave was heightened. North porch: outer doorway with chamfered arched head and continuous jambs with a flat lintel behind the arch. Interior: roofs, to the south chapel a flat ceiling, C18. Chancel and nave roofs are of 1893-4 heavy king post construction with queen struts. Fittings: brackets, in nave NE and SE corners moulded stone brackets for rood beam, one with roll moulding and carved palmette, other plain, C13. Wall monuments: chancel south wall grey marble table on moulded stone panel, to Elizabeth wife of Richard Warde, 1635. Nave shield sloped black marble tablet to John Adair Hawkins, 1842, and Jane his wife, 1863. Painting nave east wall Jehovah within a rayed triangle, early C18. (R.C.H.M. Dorset II, p.136 (1)).

Listing NGR: SY7324487623

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

105965

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Inventory of Dorset, (1970), 136

End of official list entry

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