Description

BURGH LE MARSH HIGH STREET
TF 56 NW
(east side)
2/12 Church of St. Peter
and St. Paul
3.2.67

G.V. I

Parish church. c.1500, 1702, late C18, restored c.1871.
Limestone ashlar, greenstone rubble and some red brick. Lead and
slate roofs with stone coped gables and eastern gable cross
finial. 4 stage ashlar west tower with richly moulded plinth and
multi-staged angle buttresses. Pointed west doorway with richly
moulded continuous bowtell surround, hood mould and C19 traceried
doors. Large pointed window above with 4 pointed cusped lights,
panel tracery and hood mould running into string course at each
side. Small projecting gargoyle to right. Ornate niche above
window with crocketed and finialed ogee canopy and small C20
statue. Moulded string course above with pointed window above
that with 2 ogee headed cusped lights, mouchettes, bowtell
moulded surround and hood mould. North side with clock in ornate
painted surround. Tall bell chamber with openings in all 4
sides, each with paired pointed openings with bowtell surrounds,
2 pointed lights divided by transoms, panel tracery and hood
moulds. Finial rises from between bell openings to moulded eaves
with small sculptural motifs, projecting corner gargoyles,
quatrefoil frieze and battlements with small finials. North
aisle of greenstone patched with C18 brick. West end with
flattened pointed window, bowtell surround and 3 pointed lights.
North side proper with moulded string course running below a
rectangular window with 3 cupsed ogee lights, roundels with panel
tracery and hood mould. Gabled porch to left with C18
buttresses. Pointed, plain doorway with panelled doors. Inner
flanking benches and doorway with pointd head, continuous moulded
surround and C18 recessed panelled doors with ornate interior
hinges. Broken string course runs to left of porch with 2 C19
windows each with a flattened pointed head, 3 pointed cupsed
lights, panel tracery and hood mould. Rectangular window to left
with 3 semi-circular headed lights with 3 plain ogee heads rising
above, and hood mould. Clerestory with drainheads of 1762. 4
pairs of windows plus single window to east, all pointed with 3
lights, that in the centre with cusped rectangular head, those
flanking, pointed. Moulded eaves and battlements. East gable
end of nave with squat gargoyle supporting central finial,
crocketed frieze and corner pinnacles. C19 organ chamber re-
using C16 fabric. Plinth. C16 north window with semi-circular
head, 3 semi-circular headed lights, cusped reticulated tracery
and broken hood mould. East side plain. C19 chancel with
shallow chamfered plinth and moulded sill band. Triangular
headed north window with 2 ogee headed cusped lights. Rainwater
head dated 1871. East end with large pointed window with 3
cusped lights with semi-circular heads flanking central ogee
head, C19 panel-type tracery and hood mould. South side with
central doorway with continuous moulded surround, semi-circular
head and panelled door. 3 windows above; 2 two light windows
flank central 3 light window, all with triangular heads, cusped
ogee lights and hood moulds. East end of C16 south aisle with
plinth and window with flattened triangular head, continuous
moulded surround, 3 semi-circular headed lights, panel tracery
somewhat askew and sill band. South side with 3 similar windows,
but C19 replacements and all with hood moulds and C16 head label
stops. Gabled porch of 1702 to left with greenstone return walls
containing shallow pointed light to east and red brick south
front with blocked semi-circular headed doorway with moulded
brick imposts, with moulded string courses and dutch gable above,
including sundial and plaque inscribed: "WD HB CWA NO 1702".
Masking wall to left hiding fuel tank. C19 rectangular window
beyond, with 3 cusped ogee headed lights, panel tracery contaning
roundels and hood mould. West end with pointed window restored
in C19, with 2 semi-circular cusped lights, complex Y tracery
above, hood mould and head label stops. Clerestory with 5 pairs
of pointed windows of identical design to those on north side.
Rainwater heads of 1727 and 1726, the former including winged
cherubs. Very tall interior tower arch with pointed, double
chamfered head, polygonal responds on high plinths and with
moulded capitals. C19 screen set under, incorporating some C16
fabric. 5 bay north and south arcades including single lower,
smaller east bay on each side. All with pointed, double bowtell
moulded heads, octagonal piers and polygonal responds. Central
bay spandrels of south arcade with small fragments of fresco.
Doorway in west end giving access to blocked staircase leading
originally to upper sections of tower. South doorway with
chamfered segmental head. East end of south aisle with small
aumbry and C19 screens in C17 style with fluted columns, fret-
work bands and pendant finials. Chancel arch with C16 double
chamfered, pointed head and C19 polygonal responds and screen,
the latter topped with highly painted C20 figures. C19 north
organ chamber with pointed, double chamfered head and polygonal
responds. C19 roof over chancel. C16 tie beam roof with
straight braces and small rectangular plaques, over nave. Pulpit
inscribed '1623 John Hovlden' on book rest and flanked by naked
male figures wearing ruffs and ionic capital headresses. Slender
coved stalk supports ornate hexagonal pulpit to which 4 shallow
steps give access, back panel and hexagonal sounding board; the
whole highly ornate with fluted ionic columns, blind arches with
foliate motifs, fretwork bands, leering masks, coat of arms and
pendant finials. C19 octagonal font with ornate octagonal font
cover of c.1623, openwork with paired fluted columns, semi-
circular headed archways, foliate and fretwork ornament; 4 sides
to west are hinged and open up for baptisms; obelisks above and
eagle with (possibly) inkhorn and sandbox in beak. Large wooden
eagle lectern of 1874, by Jabez Good, local barber and
signpainter. C19 alabaster lifesize statue of St. Peter. Copy
of Corregio's Virgin and Child by G. R. Gentina. C18 chest.
Broken drum font and C19 stoup by north door. Paintings of St.
Peter and St. Paul, and hatchment inside tower. Monuments
include one to Charlotte and Mary Cooke, died 1812, in white and
grey marble; brass plaque to Leonard Palma, died 1610. White
marble monument with pediment and torches to the Rev. William
Barnes, died 1838; 2 white marble monuments with urns and palms
on black marble fields to the William Cookes, died 1831 and 1844,
both by E. Gaffin; and a white and grey monument to John Fuler,
died 1804.

Listing NGR: TF5008265010

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526380

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)