St Peter

St Peter's is a Norman tripartite church (nave, central tower and chancel) which has survived in its original plan, with subsequent enlargement.

The church stands in a quiet rural position, some little way from what is now the main part of the village, adjacent to the former site of Ousden Hall, which was demolished in 1954. It is Listed Grade I and has been in regular use for over 850 years.

The Norman tower is mostly unaltered, apart from the 14th century parapet. The core of most of the nave and the foundation of the chancel remain from the 1100s. The belfry windows, the tiny windows in the north wall of the tower and the south wall of the nave, the tower arches and south doorway are all Norman work. The south nave window probably replaced a small Norman window in the early 1300s, as did the window in the base of the tower, which is in the decorated style.

Following the Reformation in the 16th century, the chancel may well have been abandoned. A new brick chancel was erected during the 18th Century on the original foundations, and at about the same time a brick chapel was added to the north side of the nave, now used as the vestry. Major restoration took place in 1862 when the nave was extended westwards by nearly six metres. The porch to the nave door was rebuilt, the plaster ceiling of the nave restored and the tower arches lined with flint (the flints have now been removed). The extension has two light north and south windows and a three light west window.

In the ancient part of the south nave wall there is a blocked 12th century doorway which was the main entrance. It’s rounded arch is formed from what are believed to be reused Norman tiles, beneath which is a tympanum decorated with lozenge patterns and supported by a lintel carved with star patterns. A stone on the west side of the doorway bears traces of an ancient mass dial. This dial is unusual because instead of radiating rays, it has small indentations to mark the hours.

Today the main door is in the ancient part of the nave north wall, sheltered by the porch. This doorway is a mixture of Norman and early English work, showing the transition between the two periods. The eastern side has an unusual wave bulging patter and supports a Norman capital; the western jamb has a circular early English shaft with a moulded capital. The arch is pointed early English, but is decorated with wavy Norman roll moulding.