St Peter's Church, Allexton
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Allexton, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Allexton
, Leicestershire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. Its most important feature is the Norman
north arcade
dating from about 1160.
s were demolished in the 16th century, but rebuilt in a restoration
in 1862–63. As part of this restoration, the north arcade which had been suffering from decay, was repaired. The church was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 27 April 2000.
roofs. Its plan consists of a nave
with north and south aisles, a chancel
with a north porch, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages with buttress
es on the west side. A staircase projects from it to the south. In the lower stage is a west window, and on the south side is a blocked arch. The upper stage contains a two-light bell opening on each side. The top of the tower is battlement
ed, and it is surmounted by a low spirelet with a weathervane. The windows in the north aisle contain plate tracery. Both the north and south sides of the chancel have two-light windows, and the east window contains Decorated tracery. The south aisle contains a doorway and, to its right, a three-light window. In the roof above the south aisle are two two-light dormer
windows. On each side of the doorway is a medieval statue of a lion.
with round piers
. The arches are carved with a zigzag pattern. The south arcade is also in two bays with pointed arches carried on octagonal piers. The font
dates from the 15th century. On the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
. One of the windows in the north aisle contains some medieval
stained glass. The stained glass in the east window dates from the 19th century. The ring
consists of four bells. The oldest two were cast in 1597 and in 1640 by Watts, and the other two were cast in 1930 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
.
s at the corners on on the top is an urn
decorated with leaves and flowers and surmounted by a flame finial
. It is listed Grade II. Hotchkin had been the owner of a sugar plantation.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Allexton
Allexton
Allexton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 58. In the 2011 Census the population is likely to be higher as five new houses have been built....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. Its most important feature is the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
north arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
dating from about 1160.
History
The earliest fabric in the church dates from about the middle of the 12th century. The tower was added in the 15th century. The aisleAisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s were demolished in the 16th century, but rebuilt in a restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1862–63. As part of this restoration, the north arcade which had been suffering from decay, was repaired. The church was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 27 April 2000.
Exterior
The church is constructed in stone with Welsh slateSlate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its plan consists of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with north and south aisles, a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with a north porch, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages with buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es on the west side. A staircase projects from it to the south. In the lower stage is a west window, and on the south side is a blocked arch. The upper stage contains a two-light bell opening on each side. The top of the tower is battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed, and it is surmounted by a low spirelet with a weathervane. The windows in the north aisle contain plate tracery. Both the north and south sides of the chancel have two-light windows, and the east window contains Decorated tracery. The south aisle contains a doorway and, to its right, a three-light window. In the roof above the south aisle are two two-light dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
windows. On each side of the doorway is a medieval statue of a lion.
Interior
The Norman north arcade has two baysBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
with round piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
. The arches are carved with a zigzag pattern. The south arcade is also in two bays with pointed arches carried on octagonal piers. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 15th century. On the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. One of the windows in the north aisle contains some medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
stained glass. The stained glass in the east window dates from the 19th century. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of four bells. The oldest two were cast in 1597 and in 1640 by Watts, and the other two were cast in 1930 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
.
External features
In the churchyard is the table tomb of Thomas Hotchkin who died in 1774. It has balusterBaluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s at the corners on on the top is an urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
decorated with leaves and flowers and surmounted by a flame finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. It is listed Grade II. Hotchkin had been the owner of a sugar plantation.