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St Peter

St Peter

Croft-on-Tees

North Yorkshire

C15, restored 1876 except for chancel, restored 1887-1900 by J P'Pritchett the younger.

Architectural Features

Tower: of 2 stages, the lower one C12

C13 and of red standstone, the upper one C19, of brown sandstone

set into the later stonework below the string, carved heads and a stone carved with "IHS", also a sundial

Nave: south porch C15, but with open entrance of double-chamfered round arch on corbel capitals

inside porch, bench tables reusing medieval tombstones

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

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

West end: some C12 masonry,

C14 double-chamfered window of 3 trefoiled lights with reticulated tracery above, blocked trefoiled chamfered lancet to north aisle.

Chancel: early C14

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.

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

C13 chancel arch, rebuilt in 1729, of 2 large round chamfered orders on short colonette responds with fillet and Early English capitals.

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

On north side of chancel, aumbry with above it a string carved with 4 four-leafed flowers flanked by a male and female head

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

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

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

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.