St Peter

MATERIALS: Mostly rubble, rendered in places, with coursed herringbone work in the C12 work, and stone dressings.

The chancel is medieval in origin, but was extensively rebuilt with brick in the C19.

It has Decorated-style east and south windows, and a C14-style south door.

The nave north wall is late C11 or early C12 and has herringbone masonry, a C13 lancet and a C12 light.

The blocked north door is C15, and slightly to the west of it, a change in masonry shows where the nave was extended westwards in the C15.

The nave south wall a C13 lancet, possibly reset,

a C15 window with a square head.

The C15 south doorway has double, hollow chamfered jambs and a deep draw bar socket

The south porch is timber framed, and retains most of its C14 or early C15 outer archway, cusped bargeboards and king post roof.

The outer lights are glazed with C19 or C20 coloured glass.

There is C15 painting of foliage scrolls on the jambs of the C15 south nave window.

The bell cot stands on a very substantial C15 frame at the west end of the nave

The nave roof has C15 or C16 chamfered tie beams with cured braces PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: Plain, octagonal probably C15 font.

C15 south door, with feathered battens, strap hinges with cross pieces and a triangular drop handle.

Some C15 painting on the south-east nave window.

Stained glass: some C15 glass in situ in the south-east nave window

also some fragments of late C13 or C14 glass in the nave north-east and south-west windows.

One, partial ledger slab of 1678 in the chancel.

HISTORY: The nave is late C11 or very early C12 in origin.

The chancel is of uncertain medieval date, but may be late C12 or early C13.

The nave was lengthened to the west and possibly widened to the south in the C15, when the bell turret was also built.

SOURCES: Bettley, J and Pevsner, N, Buildings of England: Essex, 717 RCHME Essex vol. IV, 139-40 REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Church of St Peter, Church Lane, South Hanningfield, is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * Parish church, late C11 or early C12 in origin, with herringbone masonry and a late C11 or early C12 window in the nave north wall * Bell turret

south porch C15.

C15 painting and a small amount of in situ C15 glass on the south-east nave window: other late medieval features are the fonts and the south door with contemporary ironwork