St Peter's Church, Wolfhampcote facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Wolfhampcote |
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St Peter's Church, Wolfhampcote, from the northwest
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| OS grid reference | SP 529 653 |
| Location | Wolfhampcote, Warwickshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 6 October 1960 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Completed | 1848 |
| Closed | 1940s |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone and sandstone |
St Peter's Church is an old Anglican church located in a quiet area in Wolfhampcote, Warwickshire, England. It is a "redundant" church, which means it is no longer used for regular church services. Since 1960, the church and its nearby tomb (mausoleum) have been protected as a Grade II* listed building. Today, the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. The church stands in a field with several small hills. These hills are partly the remains of a medieval village that was abandoned centuries ago. Other parts are from old canal workings and a disused railway line.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
A church in Wolfhampcote was first mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. The oldest parts of the current church, like the north aisle and north chapel, date back to the 13th century. In the 14th century, most of the church was rebuilt. Then, in the 15th century, the roof was changed, and a row of windows high up (called a clerestory) was added.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (when Henry VIII closed many religious buildings), the church's tower was built in the late 1500s. In 1690, the top of the tower was changed and given a new roof. This date and the initials of the church leaders (churchwardens) were found on the top edge of the tower.
The church stayed mostly the same until 1848. At this time, it was repaired and updated, and a mausoleum (a building for burials) was added to the east end. After this, fewer people lived in the area. More repairs were done in 1903, costing about £425. The church closed in 1910 but reopened two years later because local people wanted it to. However, it was only used sometimes and closed again after the Second World War.
Sadly, the church was damaged by vandals. In the late 1950s, the local church leaders (diocese) thought about tearing it down, leaving only the walls. But a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches got permission to fix it. More vandalism happened, so the doors and lower windows were blocked to keep people out. In 1972, the church was officially given to the Redundant Churches Fund (now the Churches Conservation Trust). Since then, more work has been done to keep the building safe from weather and vandalism.
Church Architecture and Design
Exterior Features of the Church
The main part of the church (the chancel) is made of limestone, while the rest is built from sandstone. The church has a long main hall (nave) with three sections, and a row of high windows (clerestory). It also has side sections (north and south aisles), a chancel with two sections and a chapel to the north, a porch on the south side, and a tower on the northwest.
The tower has two levels, separated by a stone band. The lower level has a narrow window on the west side and blocked narrow openings on the west and north. The upper level has two bell openings side-by-side. The top of the tower has a decorative, castle-like edge. The chancel has a large window with five sections on the east side. Other windows have two or three sections with decorative stone patterns. There is a doorway on the south side and a cross decoration at the top of its roof. The south aisle has windows on its south and east sides, and the porch has blocked narrow windows. The clerestory has two sections, each with two-section windows. On the north side, the aisle and chapel are joined, forming four sections. These have three-section windows on the north, a three-section window on the east, and a four-section window on the west.
Inside the Church Building
The inside walls of the church are covered in plaster. Between the chancel and the chapel, there is an archway with two sections, supported by an eight-sided pillar. A similar archway connects the nave to the north aisle. The south aisle has an archway with three sections.
In the south aisle, there is a simple stone basin (piscina) used for washing sacred vessels. The north chapel also has a piscina with a curved arch. The font, where baptisms take place, is a plain, round stone basin, possibly from the 13th century. The wooden screen in the chapel is from the 14th century and has decorative patterns. The altar rails, from the late 1600s, have twisted supports. The pulpit, where sermons are given, has six sides and is dated 1790. Some of the wooden benches are from the 14th century.
Above the arch leading to the chancel, you can see the painted Royal arms from 1702. There are also some painted panels in the north chapel. The wall monuments (memorials) date from the late 1700s and early 1800s. The tower holds two bells. The larger bell was made in the mid-1400s. The other bell, made in 1780, was cast by Pack and Chapman. Both bells were fixed in the 1970s and were rung again in 1976 for the first time in over 30 years.
Churchyard Memorials
Around the church, there are six items in the churchyard that are also protected as Grade II listed buildings.
- One group includes 50 memorials (gravestones and tombs) south of the church, from the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s.
- A row of three headstones dates back to the 1600s.
- Another headstone is from 1709.
- A chest tomb (a stone box-like grave) is dated 1687.
- Elsewhere, there is a pair of headstones from 1695 and 1697.
- The last item is another pair of headstones from the late 1600s or early 1700s.
See also
