FINCHDEAN HUNDRED 



PETERSFIELD 



and arched heads with a roll and two rows of zigzag. 

 Between the openings are groups of three shafts, the 

 central shaft in each group worked with a spiral flut- 

 ing, having volute capitals like the rest, moulded 

 bases, and common plinths and abaci. From these 

 spring round-headed arches with edge rolls and a 

 deeply cut radiating ornament, having labels worked 

 with a band of circles inclosing lozenges. Above is 

 a horizontal string with billet on the under side, and 

 the spandrels between the arches are filled with a 

 deeply cut diaper pattern. All four sides of the 

 tower were evidently treated in this manner, and the 

 whole effect must have been exceedingly fine. Above 

 the string in the east gable of the nave is a blocked 

 round-headed window with jamb-shafts and scalloped 

 capitals, and a roll in the head, with a little old 

 masonry on either side of it. The bases look early, 

 but the capitals and arch are modern, and of a later 

 type, probably the result of restoration. The gable has 

 been lowered and again raised, but must in the first 

 instance have formed part of the east wall of the tower, 

 being the only remaining piece of its third stage. 



The east responds of the north and south arches 

 of the tower, with part of their labels, remain in 

 position, and are of the same detail as the east arch, 

 except in having nook-shafts on both sides. 



The nave arcades are of four bays, the east arches 

 on both sides being wider than the west, for the 

 reasons given above. All are round-headed, of two 

 square orders, but only the two western arches of the 

 south arcade are old. The columns are circular, as 

 are the capitals of the north arcade, but those of the 

 south are square, with recessed angles, being of some- 

 what earlier type than the others. They have small 

 scallops and a deep vertical face above them, while in 

 the north arcade the capitals have convex flutes. 



As already noted, the pillars of the north arcade 

 have been altered and reset, but the two western 

 pillars and the western respond of the south arcade 

 are in their original positions, the capitals being at a 

 higher level than those of the third pillar and eastern 

 respond. The reason is that the arcade, being set 

 out before the destruction of the central tower, was 

 not continuous with the arch opening to the south 

 transept, and did not need to correspond in height 

 with its springing ; but when the arcade was made 

 continuous after the final removal of the tower the 

 discrepancy between the capitals had to be adjusted, 

 and this was done by lowering the capital of the third 

 pillar to the level of that of the eastern respond. 

 The clearstory of the nave is a modern addition, with 

 pairs of round-headed lights. 



The north and east walls of the early north tran- 

 sept, now forming part of the north aisle, are easily 

 distinguished from the later masonry by their herring- 

 bone walling, and the remains of similar work are to 

 be seen in the south wall of the chancel. The quoins 

 are of fairly large size, but not in any way remarkable. 

 No original windows are left, the north transept 

 having a north window of two cinquefoiled lights, 

 fifteenth-century work renewed, and the south a wide 

 lancet in modern stonework in its south wall, and 

 three round-headed windows on the east, ' restored ' 

 from part of a jamb which still exists, with billet 

 string-courses at sill level within and without. There 

 was formerly a three-light early fourteenth-century 

 window here. 



The remaining windows in the north aisle are a 



plain square-headed two-light window, of no great 

 age, and to the west of it two fifteenth-century win- 

 dows each of three cinquefoiled lights with tracery. 

 The north doorway is of late twelfth-century date, 

 round-headed of two square orders, with nook-shafts 

 having foliate capitals, renewed. Over it is a modern 

 stone porch, and to the west of the porch a round 

 headed window with an outer rebate which looks 

 earlier than anything else in the aisle, and may be a 

 re-used detail from the nave walls. The remains of 

 a blocked doorway are also to be seen here, which 

 seems to have been in use when this end of the aisle 

 was used as a schoolroom. There is here a tall 

 modern window of twelfth-century style, and another 

 like it in the west wall. 



In the south aisle are four large round-headed 

 windows, of which only the third from the east is 

 ancient, of the date of the aisle wall. West of them 

 is a doorway in late twelfth-century style, with two 

 shafts in each jamb, all the stonework being modern. 

 In the west bay of the aisle is a late twelfth-century 

 south window, part of the jambs being original, and 

 in the west wall two similar windows, which preserve 

 old masonry only on the inner face. There is a late 

 thirteenth-century piscina with a shelf at the south- 

 east of this aisle, and a fourteenth-century piscina with 

 a shelf on a line just west of that of the west wall of 

 the early transept, showing that there was an altar 

 here, and therefore some screen or division at this 

 point possibly part of the old wall left standing. 

 Below the windows of the aisle is a moulded string 

 which also stops here, just east of the piscina, and 

 doubtless on the line of the division. 



The west tower is of four stages, the top stage 

 being of fifteenth-century date, embattled, with belfry 

 windows of two cinquefoiled lights, and the lower 

 three stages are of the twelfth century. At the south- 

 west angle is a stair entered from without the church. 

 The side walls on the ground stage are solid, but in 

 the east wall is a wide semicircular arch of two square 

 orders, c. 112030, with hollow-chamfered abaci like 

 those of the chancel arch, and over it a plain round- 

 headed opening from the second stage of the tower, 

 which must have given access to the roof of the early 

 nave, as just above it is a gabled weathering. This 

 latter is not quite central with the opening, its apex 

 being to the south. 



In the west wall is a round-headed doorway, with 

 an outer order of zigzag, the stonework being entirely 

 modern, except for two voussoirs of the arch. Above 

 it are two round-headed windows, replacing a two- 

 light fourteenth-century window. 



The roofs and fittings of the church are entirely 

 modern, including the font at the west end of the 

 nave ; but an older font, octagonal with panelled 

 sides, of early fifteenth-century date, stands in the 

 churchyard west of the tower. A few mediaeval 

 coffin lids are preserved in the church, and in the 

 west bay of the north aisle are two brass plates, one 

 with an inscription to Anne Holt, 1655, the other 

 to Dr. Thomas Aylwin, 1704, and his wife Mary, 

 1693. Other monuments formerly on the nave walls 

 are now fixed in the tower. 



There are eight bells, the treble and second by 

 Warner, 1889; the third and seventh by Taylor, 

 1895 ; the fourth and fifth by Robert Catlin, 1750 ; 

 the sixth by Thomas Lester, 1746, and the tenor by 

 Pack and Chapman, 1771. 



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