Church of St Peter

Details

MELVERLEY C.P. MELVERLEY SJ 31 NW

11/119 Church of St. Peter - 8.10.59 GV I

Parish church. Probably late C15 with C16 porch and bellcote of c.1718; restored 1878 and 1924-5. Timber framed with rendered lathe and plaster infill on rubblestone plinth (C19 brick plinth to east end). Machine tile roof with ornamental cresting. Rectangular nave and chancel in one with west bellcote and south porch. Framing: close-set thick vertical posts with middle rail on north, south and west; cambered tie beams to gable ends. East end more renewed with 2 middle rails and slightly curving diagonal bracing. Similar close-set posts to slightly later porch which has outer tie beam with raking struts to principal rafters and wall posts. Two square panels to each face of formerly weatherboarded bellcote, which has louvred openings below eaves of broached slate spire. Restored moulded leaded mullioned and transomed window of 4 lights immediately to east of porch is possibly C17; similar leaded mullioned window of 2 lights to far right is C19. East window of 1878 has 5 cusped lights and projecting moulded cill. Small 2-light leaded mullion window inserted in middle rail to centre on north side. West wall has 2 small C19 leaded mullion windows on ground floor and two 3-light leaded mullion windows in space between tie beam and collar. Segmental-headed south doorway has mortices to underside of reused lintel; massive plank door with 2 raised ledges and huge timber block to thresh-hold (continuation of sole- plate). Interior. Vestibule/narthex has red tile floor. Reused late C16 square and rectangular oak panelling in screen separating it from main body of church with inscription "INRI ANO DONI 1588' C(?)TO / EXDOMOED: THORN" to bottom. Oak winder staircase in south-west corner leads to gallery. This was erected in 1718 and has bulbous turned balusters to rail. Bracing fort bellcote on tie beam above, C15 double-purlin roof in 4 bays has slightly cambered collar and tie beam end trusses with V- struts from west collar and vertical struts to east. First trusses from east and west are arch-braced with V-struts from collars. Massive chamfered wall posts, double purlins and cusped windbraces. Centre truss has cambered tie beam and collar, former with raking struts to principal rafters. Vertical struts also carried down from tie beam to form open screen. Moulded horizontal beam with moulded cambered arch-way to centre. Open to left and right with vertical struts and plain plank and muntin dado. North, south and west walls have long internal diagonal braces, some slightly curved, in front of exposed timber framing. Octagonal concave-sided font with lead lining and wooden cover (c.1718) is probably C15. Finely carved hexagonal Jacobean pulpit with ornamental base; contemporary communion table. Brass chandelier hanging from collar of first truss from east. Early C18 open benches with circular ends, including to gallery and in vestibule (Inscribed "M 1716"), mostly altered in late C19. Small room on north side of vestibule has late C18 wall cupboard with H-hinges fixed to screen. Painted wooden board commemorates John Peers of Bretchel (died 1778) who "Gave in / his Life time five / Shillings yearly in / Bread upon St John.S / Day To the Poor / of The Parish of / Melverley: Forever." Only other monuments of note are wall memorial to Richard and Margaret Downes erected 1730 by their son, John and brass plate in moulded wooden frame to Edward Lloyd (died 1704): both south side. Stained glass in east window by Kempe and Tower workshop with inscription of 1928. Pictur- esquely situated by the bank of the River Vyrnwy, the Church of St. Peter is one of only 2 timber framed churches in Shropshire. B.o.E. p. 198; D.H.S. Cranage, The Churches of Shropshire, Part 9 (1908), pp. 804-5; appendix p.1000.

Listing NGR: SJ3324816559

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

256671

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cranage, DHS, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, (1908), 804-805
Cranage, DHS, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, (1908), 1000
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Shropshire, (1958), 198

End of official list entry

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