Description

CROFT-ON-TEES A 167
NZ 2809-2909
(north side)
10/23 Church of St Peter
18.3.68

GV I

Church. C12, C13, C14 and C15, restored 1876 except for chancel, restored
1887-1900 by J P'Pritchett the younger. Coursed rubble red sandstone and
ashlar brown sandstone, Westmorland slate and lead roofs. 3-bay aisled nave
with south-west tower and south porch; 3-bay chancel with C19 north vestry.
Tower: of 2 stages, the lower one C12 and C13 and of red standstone, the
upper one C19, of brown sandstone; stepped diagonal buttress to left;
ground-floor pointed-arched window of two 5-cusped lights; set into the
later stonework below the string, carved heads and a stone carved with
"IHS", also a sundial; above the string a clock, and at each corner a coat
of arms formerly recorded as being on the porch, that to left of Roland
Place, that to right of Richard Clervaux (2 rival local landowners whose
quarrels were settled by arbitration of Richard, Duke of Gloucester in
1478); belfry opening of 2 triple-cusped lights with pierced tracery; C19
battlemented parapet; matching belfry openings to east, north and west; also
to west on lower stage trefoiled lancet window. Nave: south porch C15, but
with open entrance of double-chamfered round arch on corbel capitals; ashlar
coping; inside porch, bench tables reusing medieval tombstones; inner
doorway has continuously moulded pointed arch with label. C13 south aisle
has two C19 Y-tracery 2-light windows with label flanking C19 stepped
buttress, and with C19 diagonal stepped buttress and ashlar coping to right;
similar east window but with head stops to label. 3 straight-headed
clerestorey windows, each of 2 round-arched triple-cusped lights.
Battlemented parapet. North side: 2 westernmost bays of aisle C14,
easternmost bay C15, from west having stepped buttress, 2-light window, C19
stepped buttress, chamfered continuously-moulded north door with label,
narrow 2-light window, C19 stepped buttress, renewed window of 3 triple-
cusped ogee-headed lights with quatrefoil tracery above, stepped buttress;
aisle east window of two 5-cusped lights forming Y-tracery; clerestorey as
south side. West end: some C12 masonry, and C14 double-chamfered window of
3 trefoiled lights with reticulated tracery above, blocked trefoiled
chamfered lancet to north aisle. Chancel: early C14; from left, double-
chamfered low-side window; 2-light Y-tracery window with head stops to
label, pointed-arched continuously-hollow-moulded priest's door with large
head stops to label, and above it a window of 2 trefoiled lights with
quatrefoil above and head stops to label, stepped buttress, C19 matching
window, stepped buttress with elaborately carved canopied niche. East
window of 5 triple-cusped lights, the window having been given a straight
head when the chancel roof was lowered in the early C15; flanking the window
are stepped buttresses with canopied niches, elaborately carved, especially
that to south. On north side, lean-to vestry and gabled organ chamber above
heating chamber; further west, C19 window matching belfry openings; blocked
chamfered doorway with label; chamfered window. Interior: C13 3-bay south
arcade, with double-chamfered pointed arches with labels on octagonal
columns with nailhead motif on capitals and moulded bases, the western
respond on tower north wall a colonette on a high base; C14 3-bay north
arcade of 4-centred double-chamfered arches with well-carved heads on label
stops, the westernmost arch dying into the nave west wall, and the
easternmost arch hidden by the Milbanke pew; corbels set into the wall
above; C13 chancel arch, rebuilt in 1729, of 2 large round chamfered orders
on short colonette responds with fillet and Early English capitals. C19
arch to organ chamber and vestry. C15 hollow-moulded pointed arch to tower,
with head set in wall to north. On south side of chancel, early C14 triple
sedilia with stepped seats, and pointed-arched cusped canopies with stiff-
leaf capitals to colonettes with ball flowers in hollows flanking, and with
a richly carved frieze above with men, beasts and foliage, and with
hoodmould of animals resting on Atlantes supported on animal-head corbels;
further east, piscina with shafted cinquefoiled pointed arch with label
stops and with heads alternating with foliage below shelf. On north side of
chancel, aumbry with above it a string carved with 4 four-leafed flowers
flanked by a male and female head; above it a trefoil window. At east end
of south aisle, blocked squint to chancel; chamfered piscina on south side.
Easternmost 2 bays of south aisle are separated from body of church by C15
wooden screen of ogee-headed cusped lights, in paired divisions to west,
triple to nave, thus forming a chapel, containing a large grey marble chest
tomb of Richard Clervaux of Croft, d 1490, with moulded lid with Latin
inscription around the edge, on the side panels his coat of arms, collared
with the S-emblem of the House of Lancaster on long sides, and entwined by
his motto on the ends; along the south wall, side panels from another
Clervaux tomb. Set in the wall to the east of the south door a Romano-
British recessed panel carved with a male figure. C18 circular marble font
on C17 panelled square base. At the east end of the north aisle, a late-C17
large white marble chest tomb of the Milbanke family of Halnaby Hall,
uninscribed but with coats of arms in drapes and garlands, large diagonal
corner volutes, and moulded lid on which is set a helm; the tomb is
separated from the south aisle by C17 railings, with square bars diamond-
set, with spear finials, and gate with fluted standards with crescent-and-
spear finials. Between the nave and south aisle, the very large Milbanke
pew, of late C17 - early C18 date, with projecting end wings, and fluted
columns above fielded-panel dado carrying a dentilled cornice, all on 4
Tuscan columns raising it to first-floor level; access is gained by a large
staircase with twisted balusters, and dog-gates with swept tops and splat
balusters. On the west wall of the south aisle, monument to Cornelia
Milbanke d1795 while giving birth to twins, by T Banks RA, with long verse
on tablet between fluted brackets supporting a ledge with a semi-reclining
female figure and the twins hovering above, below pediment with antifixae
and apex coat of arms. Chancel: floor brasses to Elizabeth and David Neale
d1743 and 1744; twisted-baluster altar rail; black and white Frosterley
limestone paving; reredos panelling c1900; pedimented royal coat of arms of
William and Mary, dated 1693; iron hour-glass above pulpit. On the north
window sill of the Milbanke chapel, part of an early C9 Anglo-Saxon cross
shaft, with high quality carving of birds and beasts inhabiting vine
scrolls, and near the north door, part of another cross shaft. At the west
end of the Clervaux Chapel on oak parish chest.

Listing NGR: NZ2887709845

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Peter's Church at Wikipedia
• St Peter's Church official website
• Wikidata Q17538291

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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