St. Peter, Belton, Rutland

Description

The church of St. Peter is a building of stone of the Decorated period, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch, and an embattled western tower containing a clock and 6 bells; two new bells were presented in 1911, one by Mrs. Elizabeth Ward and the other by F.R.D.A. Gough esq. J.P.; the old bells were re-cast in the same year; the chancel retains an aumbry and a piscina; the nave arcade is of four bays, with octagonal piers and alternately plain and decorated capitals: in the church is an incised slab, with effigies of Sir Thomas Haslewood, ob. 20 Dec. 1559, and Clemence, his wife (see Harl. MSS. 1558 and 3610): on the south Wall of the chancel there are two brasses to John Eagleton esq. and his wife, erected in 1870, and several mural tablets, chiefly to the Roberts and Kemp families: two stained windows were presented in 1898 by Mrs. Ward: the church was repewed in 1841 and in 1897-98 was new roofed, reseated, a chancel screen, vestry and organ chamber erected and the fabric generally restored, at a cost of about £2,000: in 1903 an organ was presented by an anonymous donor: a lych gate was presented in 1911 by J. E. Corby esq.: there are 200 sittings.

Church Records

The parish registers date from 1577.