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St Peter

St Peter

Mid Suffolk

Suffolk

HENLEY CHURCH LANE TM 15 SE 4/118 Church of St. Peter 9.12.55 - I Parish church, mediaeval with extension and restoration of mid C19.

Architectural Features

The late C13 south nave doorway reuses billet-and chevron-carved voussoirs from a late C12 arch, and in the jamb is a well- carved foliate capital from a nook shaft, no doubt from the same arch.

Other C13 work includes a plain north doorway, cusped pointed windows in the chancel, with matching piscina and dropped cill sedilia with squinches, and a little arched aumbry in the north wall.

Arched upper and lower doorways from the destroyed roodloft stairs may perhaps be of C13 also.

Canted and ceiled nave roof is of C15 or earlier (the chancel roof was rebuilt C19, but with the previous C15 moulded cornice refixed).

The C15 south porch has a moulded doorway with image niche above (now containing a C19 figure of SC. Peter), and side windows of splayed gault brick.

Beside the porch is an inserted C15 grotesque corbel, perhaps taken from elsewhere in the building.

C15 inner south door with original ironmongery

other C15 alterations include 2 large north windows.

Over the west doorway of the tower is a panel of freestone with a fine carved frieze incorporating an inscription to Thomas Seckford This is the probable commencement date for the tower.

Lionhead gargoyles.

In the south nave wall is a fine terracotta window of c.1525, one of an important group commissioned by Sir Philip Booth of Shrubland Old Hall, Coddenham whose private chapel has two windows by the same Italian craftsman.

The east window is of C19 in the C14 manner.

Two floor slabs in the sanctuary of 1673 and 1682, and two more in the nave of 1713 and 1793.

On the nave wall are three C17/C18 painted coats of arms of Lozenge form.