St Peter's Church, Tickencote facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Tickencote |
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The chancel arch in St Peter's Church, Tickencote
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| OS grid reference | SK9904409492 |
| Location | Tickencote, Rutland |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 14 June 1954 |
| Architect(s) | Samuel Pepys Cockerell (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman Romanesque Revival architecture |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone Collyweston slate |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Peterborough |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Peter's Church, Tickencote is a historic Church of England building located in the small village of Tickencote, Rutland, England. Most of the church was rebuilt in 1792 by architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell. However, some very old parts, like the chancel arch and the special ceiling in the chancel, are from the mid-12th century. These older parts show the beautiful Norman architecture style.
In 2019, the Churches Conservation Trust took over the care of St Peter's Church. The church was closed for important repairs until June 2022, when it reopened for visitors.
Contents
Discover St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church is built from local limestone and has roofs made of Collyweston slate. It has a main area called the nave, a chancel (the part where the altar is), a two-story tower, and a transept (a part that sticks out) on the north side. The tower also acts as the main entrance, like a porch.
A Look at the Church's Design
The church has a unique design. The chancel has a special ceiling called a sexpartite vault. This type of ceiling has six parts that meet in the middle. Even though the chancel was rebuilt in 1792, the original vaulting and its carvings were kept. The east end of the chancel has decorative arches that are "blind," meaning they don't open. There's also a round-headed window with leaf designs.
The Amazing Chancel Arch
The most impressive part of St Peter's Church is its round-headed chancel arch, which dates back to the mid-12th century. This arch is decorated with six layers of carvings! Each layer has different patterns:
- The first layer has a simple roll shape.
- The second layer has "beak-heads," which look like bird heads.
- The third layer has zig-zags and a pattern like castle walls.
- The fourth layer is very detailed, with carvings of heads (including a king and queen), figures, animals, a green man (a face made of leaves), and other plants.
- The fifth layer has more zig-zags.
- The sixth layer has an abstract version of the beak-head pattern.
The very edge of the arch is decorated with a "billet moulding," which looks like small blocks.
Tower, Porch, and Bells
The church tower has a pyramid-shaped roof. Inside the tower are the church bells. Before 1792, these bells were in a different part of the church. The tower also serves as the entrance porch. Above the round-headed entrance, there's a stone tablet dedicated to Miss Eliza Wingfield. She paid for the church's restoration in 1792.
The nave, the main part of the church where people sit, was completely rebuilt in 1792. The baptismal font, which is used for baptisms, is in the Romanesque architecture style. It's a bit newer than the chancel arch but still very old. Today, the font is near the chancel arch, but old plans show it used to be closer to the west end of the church. The outside of the nave shows an early example of Romanesque Revival architecture, which means it was designed to look like old Romanesque buildings.
Notable Burials
Some important people are buried at St Peter's Church:
- Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Ardglass, and his wife Elizabeth.
- Sir Edward Wingfield and his wife Mary Georgina.
Images for kids
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East face of the chancel
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Church from the south
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West end of the nave as re-designed by Cockerell in 1792
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Tickencote Church
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Blind arcading part of the restyled 1792 exterior on north side of chancel
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Norman font
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Human face and arcading on font
