Building record 2920/1/1 - Church of St. Peter

Church, now redundant, built in the 13th century. Restored and the chancel rebuilt 1868-69 by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt, and further work was carried out in 1890 by G F Bodley. Built of squared coursed limestone and limestone ashlar with lead and Collyweston stone slate roofs. The church consists of a aisled nave, chancel, chapels, south transept, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church, now redundant. C13. Restored and chancel rebuilt 1868-69 by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt also work of 1890 by G.F. Bodley. Squared coursed limestone and limestone ashlar with lead and Collyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, chapels, south transept, south porch and west tower. South elevation of chancel is one blank bay; the south chapel and trancept project over the other 2 bays. Gabled roof with Collyweston slates, plain parapets with corbel table and gable parapet with finial. Large 5-light east window with mouchettes, circle and cusping. Small circular opening above. Flanking 3-stage clasping buttresses with gablets. Carved heads decorating the gablets and window label stops. North elevation of the chancel is a similar blank bay. South aisle and south chapel of 6 bays. Bay to far right is blank with a 2-stage clasping buttress at the corner. Adjacent bay breaks forward as south transept. C19 three-light south window and 2-stage clasping buttresses at corners. Shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets and finial. 3-window range of south aisle of tall 2- and 3-light windows with 4-centred arch-heads. Windows to centre and left are partly C14 other is C19. Lean-to roof continuous with south chapel with plain ashlar parapets. C19 three-light east window to south chapel has geometrical tracery and ogee-head. C14 two-light west window to south aisle has hollow reveals. C19 gabled porch breaks forward to left of centre. Moulded inner and outer doorways both with one order of shafts and carved label stops. Carved plaque with cross keys above outer arch. Ashlar gable parapets and finial. 2-light square-head windows to return walls. North aisle and north chapel of 7-window range. 2-window range of north chapel vestry is of C19 three-light windows with geometrical tracery and carved corbel stops. Priest door to far left also has carved label stops. 5-window range of north aisle is of a C14 two-light windows with ogees and cusping. Some tracery restored C19 all have carved label stops. North aisle and north chapel-vestry have separate lean-to roofs with plain ashlar parapets. C19 three-light east window to north aisle is similar to south windows. Nave clerestory of 4-window range of C19 square-head windows. Gabled roof with Collyweston slates, plain ashlar parapets and gable parapet with finial. C13 west tower of 3 stages. 3-stage clasping buttress to north-west corner. 2-stage angle buttress, with secondary single-stage buttress, to north and south-east corners. Shallow 2-stage buttress to south-west corner is also the stair turret and has moulding to corner of upper stage. West doorway has 2-centred arch-head with roll mouldings, nail head decoration and 2 orders of shafts. Plain lancet window above and similar windows to north and west faces of second stage. 2-light bell-chamber openings to each face of upper stage have one order of shafts, central polygonal shaft, quatrefoil circle above and single chamfered 2-centred arch-head. Corbel table above, with plain ashlar parapet. Set back, ashlar, broach spire with roll mouldings at the angles. 2 tiers of lucarnes at alternate faces. Lower tier has a lower opening with a trefoil head and on upper opening with 2 orders of shafts, central shaft and trefoils above. Interior: 4-bay nave arcade of C13 double chamfered arches, largely reconstructed C19. Circular piers and semi-circular responds. The west responds apex to be original. C19 moulded and chamfered chancel arch with marble luster shaft responds supported on a carved corbels. Double-chamfered tower arch also with carved corbels. Double-chamfered and moulded arches, between aisles and chapels, have plain responds. C14 two-bay chancel arcade with moulded arches, central pier with marble shafts and cluster shaft responds similar to chancel arch. C14 roll-moulded-arch, from south chapel to transept. C19 roof structures, the chancel roof is barrel vaulted with painted wooden panels. The chancel walls have stencil décor tion by Bodley. C19 iron railings, with stone base, between nave and chancel and chancel, south aisle and south chapel. C19 piscina and triple sedilia to right of alter has trefoil heads and crocketed gables. Similar niche to left of altar. Chancel floor tiles by Maws. C19 brass candle brackets in chancel and brass communion rail. Stained glass: east window by Lavers, Barrand and Westlake c.1868. C19 stained glass to south chapel and transept windows, 2 windows of north aisle and one window of south aisle; the latter is by Anning and Bell c.1919. C19 octagonal font. C19 pink marble pulpit. South chapel reredos c.1635, three carved medallions depicting the Heart of Jesus, vines and chalice. Monuments; matrices for brass in floor of south aisle and Brudenell monuments, all in south chapel and adjacent transept. Sir Robert Brudenell died 1531 and 2 wives, 3 recumbent alabaster effigies on a sarcophagus with balusters and quatrefoil panels. Brasses to Edmund Brudenell, d.1585; Sir Thomas Brudenell, d.1549; John Brudenell, d.1606; Edmund Brudenell, d.1652 and Robert d.1549. Three arch-head recesses to south and east walls; one has Ionic pilasters with cartouche and oblisks over, one other has Doric pilasters. Chest tomb used as altar has 3 shields in panels. Thomas Brudenell, d.1664; small open fronted chest tomb at base of chancel pier, arch-head openings with Ionic pilasters. Anne Duchess of Richmond, d.1722 by Guelfi, west wall of transept; bust set against square surround with flanking caryatids, metope frieze and pediment over. Countess of Cardigan, d.1826 by Sievier, decorated wall tablet. Seventh Earl of Cardigan, d.1868 and wife, by Sir J.E. Boehm, recumbent effigies on sarcophagus, bronze sea horses at the bottom corners. Various other C19 and C20 tablets to Brudenell family in south chapel and south aisle. Lord Robert Brudenell-Bruce, d.1912 and wife, wall tablet incorporating reset stone crucifix. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: p176)

{6} Large building of local stone & Collyweston slate; tower & spire date to C13th or earlier; in 1868 widow of 7th Earl of Cardigan commissioned T.H.Wyatt to rebuild much of church; details of interior features;

{8} Maw & Co supplied the chancel pavement at St Peter's church, which was restored in 1868-9 and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust

{13} Undated photo.

{14} Church in regular use.

{15} The Church of St. Peter, Deene, was in the main of late 13th or early 14th century date, but, except for the tower and spire, the character of the building has been much altered by 'restorations' in the 18th and 19th centuries.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 14/67 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G11 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<4> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.302-304 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<6> 1994, Visit Churches in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, (checked) (Pamphlet). SNN33492.

<7> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<8> Pearson L., 2003, Gazeteer of British Tile and Architectural Ceramic Sites: County Draft, Northamptonshire, p.3 (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN103233.

<9> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 p.1-2 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<10> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.176-7 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<11> Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society, 2011, TACS (Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society) Location Database, (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN107648.

<12> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.248-9+58 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<13> Photographs of buildings in Deene (Photographs). SNN112533.

<14> Seaman, B H, 1961, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 10-AUG-61 (Notes). SNN112887.

<15> 1954, The Archaeological Journal (110), p. 208 (J Wake, Notes) (Journal). SNN69643.

<16> Historic England, St Peter's Church, Deene, BF107294 (Archive). SNN114682.

Record last edited

Feb 1 2023 2:27PM