Details
LONG COMPTON MAIN STREET
SP23SE (West side)
5/96 Church of SS. Peter and Paul
13/10/66 (Formerly listed as Parish
Church of SS. Peter and Paul)
GV I
Church. Early C13, with late C13 or early C14, late C14 and C15 alterations and
additions. The church was restored 1862-3 by Woodyer, and again early C20.
Coursed, some also squared, limestone rubble with ashlar chantry chapel and
parapets. Stone-slate chancel roof. Lead nave roof. Chancel, nave with north
aisle and west tower. Chancel rebuilt late C13 or early C14, with much C19
restoration, 3 bays, with chamfered plinth, quoins and coped gable to east with
cross at apex. To east a C19 window in C14 style of 3 lights and geometric
tracery. Hood mould with labels. To north and south two restored late C13 or
early C14 windows, each of 2 lights with cusped geometric tracery. Chamfered
surround, and hood mould with labels. Also to north a C19 doorway, now blocked,
to a planned vestry. To left a C19 brick and ashlar stack. To south, between
windows, a C15 chantry chapel, now vestry, of 2 small bays with stone flag
lean-to roof. Moulded plinth with offset buttresses and coped embattled parapet.
Coped half-gables to east and west. To east a pointed window of 2 lights with
central mullion rising to apex, and cusped tracery. Hollow-chamfered surround.
To south, divided by a buttress, 2 square-headed 2-light windows with central
mullion and cusped tracery. Hollow-chamfered surround. Window to left is
restored. Early C13 nave, with early C14 north aisle and clerestory of early
C15. 4 bays, with quoins, an offset buttress, double weather-course to south,
and hollow-moulded eaves cornice. Embattled parapet. To apex of east gable a
bell-cote with ogee-headed openings to east and west. Crocketed pinnacles.
Bell-cote is surmounted by a pyramid-shaped pinnacle with crocketed finial. To
south, late C14 gabled porch with stone-slate roof and coped gable.
Double-chamfered doorway with C17 double plank doors with muntins and rail
forming panels. On western leaf a date in lead bas-relief: 1620. To north and
south a blocked window. Stone benches with very worn C14 or C15 tomb to east.
Part-restored early C13 doorway of 2 orders. The outer order has chamfered
jambs, with stops below a moulded abacus, continuing into a hollow-chamfered and
edge-rolled semi-circular head. The inner order has chamfered jambs continuing
into a trefoiled head. On east abacus a scratched sundial. C19 plank door. Porch
has C19 queen-post roof. To west of porch, and to 2 openings east of porch an
early C14 window of 2 cusped lights and quatrefoil within chamfered surround.
Hood mould and labels. To early C14 north aisle 3 similar windows, but without
hood moulds and labels. To east a C19 window of 2 lights with Y-tracery. Hood
mould with labels. To north, towards west, a C13 segmental-headed doorway with
edge-roll surround. Plank door. To north and south of C15 clerestory 5
square-headed windows, each of 2 lights with cusped tracery. Hollow-chamfered
surround. Hood mould with diamond-shaped labels. West tower of 3 stages, the
first 2 stages of late C13 and now rendered, the top stage C15. Moulded plinth,
offset diagonal buttresses rising to C15 stage and a string course to each
stage. To east angle a C13 flat buttress. Below parapet a moulded eaves cornice
with gargoyles to north and south. Pierced, embattled parapet with crocketed
pinnacles to corners. To south-west a C20 simple plank door, with a single
chamfered lancet above, and hood mould. Also to west, above first string course,
a single round-headed light. To south a pointed, chamfered doorway with loop
above to left. Single round-headed light above first string course. Towards top
of each face of second stage a C13 window of 2 lancets with central polygonal
shaft with moulded capital and unpierced spandrel. Hood mould. All windows are
now fully blocked except that to east which has one glazed light. C15
square-headed bell-chamber openings, each of 2 lights. Stone-slate louvres. Hood
mould with labels. Interior: C19 cusped piscina beneath the easternmost window
of south wall of chancel, with stone seat to immediate right. Also to north a
restored doorway leading into chantry chapel, with late C13 or early C14 window
directly above, now hidden externally by chapel, but identical to those to
either side and in north wall. Chantry noted as having moulded corbel supporting
chamfered rib of roof. To west of westernmost window in south wall a late C13
trefoiled recess. Restored late C13 chancel arch, double-chamfered, with
polygonal responds and moulded capitals. All windows to north and south walls of
nave have chamfered rere-arches. North arcade of 4 bays with slender octagonal
piers with responds to east and west, with moulded bases and capitals.
Double-chamfered arches continuing into single splays above capitals. Below
clerestory windows to north and south a moulded string course. Clerestory
windows have chamfered rere-arches. Triple-chamfered west tower arch with
imposts to outer chamfers. Inner chamfered order is supported on polygonal
stiff-leaf corbels. Hood mould above arch with carved head labels. West window
of tower has 2 rere-arches. C19 crown-post chancel roof. Reconstructed C15
low-pitched nave roof with moulded tie-beams, braces and purlins. Hammer-beams
supported on polygonal moulded capitals with carving, including foliage, angels,
a woman's head and a mitred bishop. Also a priest with a chalice and a book set
into the wall on either side. C19 north aisle roof is supported on plain
corbels. C19 stained glass in chancel and tower windows. C19 font. C19 stone
pulpit incorporating some C15 panels (perhaps from former font) of ogee-headed
tracery with crocketed pinnacles. Wall tablet on north aisle wall to John
Rawlings and Elizabeth his wife, who died in 1778 and 1775. C19 wall tablet in
north wall. In south nave wall a tablet to the Reverend Thomas Clarke, M.A., of
"Brazennose College, Oxon" who died in 1837.
(V.C.H.: Warwickshire, Vol.5, pp.55-57; Buildings of England: Warwickshire,
p.342).
Listing NGR: SP2874233032
