St. Peter, Little Comberton, Worcestershire

Description

The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone, consisting of chancel with north aisle and organ chamber, nave, transept, north porch and an embattled western tower of Early Perpendicular date, with pinnacles, and containing a clock and 6 bells; the porch bears the date 1639, but the north doorway is Norman and has an interesting tympanum, exhibiting a plain cross surrounded by eight conical shell-like ornaments: the chancel retains a trefoiled piscina, and in the south wall of the nave is a square piscina of the Norman period: the windows, some of which are decorated, contain fragments of old glass: the south wall of the nave was rebuilt and some new windows inserted in 1836, and in 1886-7 the church was generally restored at a cost of £2,110, under the direction of William White esq. F.S.A. architect, of London, when the chancel roof was renovated, a new chancel arch of oak erected, with six small windows above it, the roof of the nave renewed, a north aisle and organ chamber added to the chancel and a transept erected; the chancel was also refloored with tiles reproducing the ancient patterns, at the cost of R. S. Bagnall esq. of the Manor House, all the original tiles being collected and laid down at the east end, and the nave was reseated; three Early Norman windows, recovered during the progress of the work, were placed in the north wall, and the tower was repaired and a new roof fixed, at the cost of F. Parker esq. of Worcester; the whole restoration was carried out as a memorial to the Rev. William Parker M.A. rector 1826-84, to whose memory several stained windows have also been erected. The communion table and plate were presented by T. Byrche Savage esq. whose family were formerly patrons of the living: there are 150 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register of baptisms dates from the year 1591; marriages and burials, 1586.