Building record 6141/1/1 - Church of St. Peter

Former parish church, now partly a studio. Built in the 13th and 14th centuries, the tower was probably added in the 15th century. The building was restored by Slater and Carpenter in 1867. Built of coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, low-pitched nave and aisle roofs probably of lead, other roofs of Collyweston slates. The church consists of a west tower, aisled nave with south porch, chancel and north-east vestry

{1} Parish church, now partly studio. C13 and C14, tower probably C15, restored by Slater and Carpenter 1867. Coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, low pitched nave and aisle roofs probably of lead, other roofs of Collyweston slates. West tower, aisled nave with south porch, chancel, north-east vestry. 4-stage, west tower has plinth clasping buttresses, castellated parapet and pyramidal -roof. 2-light traceried bell-openings with transom. West side also has double board doors in arched opening with hood mould, a 2-light traceried depressed-arched window to first stage, and 2 tiny stair lights. South side also has chamfered loop light. Nave and aisles have plain parapets, clerestory of 3 sqaure-headed, 2-light windows with ogee-headed lights and hood moulds. South side: aisle has diagonal buttresses. Porch with parapet gable has arched opening of 2 orders with hood mould enclosing arched entrance with C19 board door on decorative hinges. 3-light rectangular window to right has arched lights and hood mould with head stops. West end of aisle has similar 2-light window with ogee-headed lights. East end of aisle has 3-light decorated window with large head filled with flowing tracery. South-east angle of nave parapet has louvred chimney turret. Chancel: east end has 3 lancets and round window with plate tracery trefoil above. Band at cill level. South side has 2 lancets (western one above a 2-light "low-side" window) and a 2-light Perpendicular window. North side of chancel has one lancet. C19 north-east vestry picks up detail from east end and from south aisle chimney. North aisle: diagonal buttresses. East end of aisle has 2-light square headed window with arched lights, hood mould and head stops. Similar window in north side, also arched entrance with hood mould and head-stops, and C19 board door on decorative hinges. West end of aisle has cusped lancet. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade on quatrefoil piers with similar but not identical capitals. Arches of 2 orders- simply chamfered to north-west arch, others sunk convex chamfers. Hood moulds with heads. Tall chamfered tower arch on semi-cylindrical responds with polygonal capitals. Roof, probably C19, arch braced from head corbels to tie-beam, and traceried. Nave walls "scraped" except above chancel arch where fragments of wall-painting survive. Top of rood stair visible, but door way broken away. North aisle retains arched entrance to newel stair with carved head above. Chancel: east end shafted, with stiff-leaf capitals and brackets for statues either side. Arch braced roof on angel corbels, all C19. Two good architectural monuments: to William Montagu, d. 1620, and to another member of the Montagu family but uninscribed c. 1575. C19 altar rail and pews in chancel. C19 pulpit with "Feed my sheep" relief, in nave. Font removed. Chancel, tower and aisles divided from nave by C20 timber and glass screens.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: pp294-5).

{8} Conservation works to the Crucifixion wall painting were completed in July 2020. The figure of St John the Evangelist has been lost, possibly as a result of water ingress. Several details of the kneeling angels appear scrubbed down to plaster and the sculpture of Crucified Christ went missing. The virgin and the praising angels remain.

{9} - In January/February 2020, Crestwood Environmental underwent a photographic building recording of the Church of St. Peter prior to its re-development into a private dwelling which will be undertaken in a way sympathetic to the significance and understanding of this heritage asset. The survey found that the recent significant alterations have not been of dealt in a sympathetic nature to the church and could be considered to have resulted in a level of harm to the fabric of the building. These alterations include the installation of wood and glass partitions which resulted in damage to the arcade columns, capitals and bases along with the opening of a hole into the outer casing of the tower staircase. The William Montagu monument was also subject to inexpert restoration which will require specialist restoration and conservation to ensure its future preservation.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 11/182 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), J12 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100754.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.294-95 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.329-30 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<6> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<7> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN54494.

<8> Hirst Conservation, 2020, Medieval Wall Painting in St Peter's Church, Little Oakley (Website). SNN112113.

<9> David Leigh, 2020, The Former Church of St. Peter, Little Oakley: A Programme of Archaeological Building Investigation and Recording at Level 2 (Photographic) (Report). SNN115707.

<10> St Peter's Church, Little Oakley, BF052047 (Archive). SNN116301.

Record last edited

Dec 13 2024 2:53PM