Listed Building record MDO17912 - Parish Church of St Peter, Church Knowle

The parish church of Saint Peter at Church Knowle is mostly of the first half of the 13th century. The nave, chancel and north and south transepts date from this period. The west tower, and probably the south porch, were added in the 14th century. The tower was rebuilt in the 18th century and the north aisle was added between 1833 and 1841.

(SY 94088193) St Peter's Church (NAT) <2>

The parish church of Saint Peter at Church Knowle is mostly of the first half of the 13th century. The nave, chancel and north and south transpets date from this period. The west tower, and probably the south porch, were added in the 14th century. The tower was rebuilt in the 18th century and the north aisle was added between 1833 and 1841.

Certainly the north transept, and probably the south, contained chantries associated respectively with the lords of the manors of Barnston and East Creech. Cross slab in the church dated to ca.1300. <1, 3>

Parish Church of St Peter. Grade II*. <4-5>

Part of a recumbent cross-slab with sloping sides and debased foliate decoration is in the South transept of the church. This is clearly post-Conquest, and probably of ca. 1300. <6>

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 75 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

<1> DOE (HRR), 1952, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Wareham and Purbeck Rural District 1952, Jan 1952 9 (Scheduling record). SWX2549.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 42-43 (Monograph). SDO148.

(1) The Parish Church of St. Peter (Plate 1) stands to the N.E. of the village. The walls are of local stone rubble with dressings of the same material and the roofs are covered with stone slates. The Chancel was built about the end of the first quarter of the 13th century and the Nave and North and South Transepts were built shortly afterwards. The 14th-century West Tower was in part at least rebuilt in the 18th century and the North Aisle added between 1833 and 1841, when the entire N. wall of the nave and most of the W. wall of the N. transept were removed. The South Porch was built probably in the 14th century. Certainly the N. transept, and probably the S., contained chantries associated respectively with the lords of the manors of Barnston and East Creech.

The church is of interest, being for the most part of the first half of the 13th century; the Clavell monument, 1572, is a good and undamaged example of its kind.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (19¾ ft. by 15¾ ft.) of c. 1225 has the base of the walls battered and a plain E. gable; the windows, unless otherwise described, are original. The E. window is of two trefoil-headed lights with a round cinque-foiled tracery light under a two-centred moulded label and a moulded two-centred rear arch; the reveals and mullion have continuous three-quarter-round mouldings outside. The two windows in the N. wall are similar to the E. window except that the tracery lights are quatre-foiled, they are without labels and the rear arches are hollow-chamfered; in the W. splay of the W. window is the square-headed E. opening of an early 15th-century squint from the N. transept. In the S. wall the E. window is of the 15th century and of three trefoiled lights in a square head; internally the sill is lowered to form a seat. The doorway, further W., has stop-chamfered jambs, perhaps in part of 13th-century origin, and a depressed two-centred head of later date. The W. window is similar to those in the N. wall and also has in the W. splay a chamfered shouldered opening to a squint from the S. transept. The 13th-century chancel arch was much restored in the 19th century; it is two-centred and of two continuous chamfered orders; flanking it are smaller openings, originally recesses presumably for side altars, pierced and opened down to floor level in the 19th century; they have segmental-pointed heads and jambs all much restored in the lower parts and entirely modern on the E. face.

The Nave (36½ ft. by 15½ ft.) retains on the N. the butt ends only of the N. wall; two 19th-century timber posts support both the gallery over the N. aisle and N. transept and the main roof trusses. The S. wall was heightened some 4½ ft. in the 19th century and at the same time the two-centred archway of two chamfered orders into the S. transept was heightened, probably with re-use of much of the original 13th-century material, but this is concealed by plastering. The rebuilt S. doorway has a chamfered two-centred head and jambs with run-out stops; over the E. haunch is a reset lancet window with chamfered head and jambs, segmental rear arch and wide inner splays. Further W. are two windows in part original and each of one tall lancet with heightened and restored head.

The North Transept (12½ ft. by 11 ft.) has been heightened to contain a gallery and is now gabled to the E. and with a modern E. window in the heightening. In the original E. wall are traces of a blocked window, and in the S.E. corner is the plain rectangular W. opening to the squint; the outer wall of the squint projects in the angle between chancel and transept and is supported on stone corbelling. The N. wall contains an original window of two lancets with a round quatre-foiled tracery light and sunk spandrels in a two-centred head; the mullion is modern and the cusping in the tracery light is damaged.

The South Transept (12 ft. by 10½ ft.) has a parapeted S. gable with trefoiled apex-stone. The E. and S. walls each contain a two-light window similar to that in the N. transept except that the cusping in the tracery has been removed. The W. opening to the squint in the N.E. corner has a plain square head and splayed jambs.

The North Aisle (8½ ft. wide) has two mid 19th-century windows in the N. wall each consisting of a pair of chamfered lancet lights. The W. end is gabled, and reused on the parapet is an old trefoiled apex-stone. Reset inside, under the stairs to the gallery, is a 13th-century stone doorway with two-centred head of two continuous chamfered orders; in the gable and lighting the gallery is a 19th-century window of two trefoiled lights with a trefoiled spandrel in a two-centred head.

The West Tower (8½ ft. square) was largely rebuilt from a height of some 14 ft. upwards in the 18th century, with re-use of some original material. Outside it is without division and has a low pyramidal roof with plain overhanging eaves; inside it is divided into three storeys. The tower arch is of c. 1300, with a depressed two-centred head of one chamfered order dying out against plain responds. In the N. wall is a modern doorway, and the S. and W. walls each contain a small chamfered rectangular loop-light probably of the 18th century. The second storey has chamfered and rebated rectangular loops of c. 1300 reset in the N. and S. walls; at this level in the S. wall is also a stone tablet inscribed with the initials I.C., E.C. churchwardens' and the date 1741. The louvred openings in the N., S. and W. walls of the bell-chamber are contemporary with the rebuilding.

The South Porch (8½ ft. by 7¾ ft.) has a plain parapeted S. gable with an 18th or 19th-century gable cross. The 14th-century entrance archway has a chamfered two-centred head and chamfered jambs. Inside are wall-benches with plank seats.

The Roof of the nave dates from between 1833 and 1841 and is of three bays; the attenuated tie and collar-beam trusses have queen posts and arched braces arranged to suggest a hammer-beam roof, cinquefoils in the spandrels and purlins slung below the principals. The tie beams in the N. aisle are of the same date as the foregoing and also have cusped infilling above.

Fittings—Altar: In S. transept, Purbeck marble slab 3 ft. 8 ins. by 2 ft. 5 ins., with five incised crosses and a sixth added later, chamfered under edge, mediaeval, on modern supports. Bells: three; 1st, by James Wells of Aldbourne in Wiltshire, 1804; 2nd, by Thomas Purdue, 1677, recast 1926. Bell-frame: of timber, mid 18th-century. Brackets: two, of stone, in E. wall of S. transept and in E. wall of S. porch, perhaps mediaeval. Brasses: see Monument (1). Chairs: In chancel, pair, of oak, with turned legs and stretchers, backs with turned side posts and shaped and pierced cresting, late 17th-century. Coffin-lids: In S. transept—in sill of S. window, (1) upper part only, with relief of cross with trefoiled ends on slender stem, late 13th-century; (2) upper part only, with hollow-chamfered border and wheel cross on elaborated stem, crudely carved in relief, c. 1300. Communion Table: In chancel, modern, but incorporating enriched bulbous legs and end bearers of the early 17th century. See also Tables. Gallery: over N. transept, N. aisle and W. end of nave, with plain panelled front, approached by stone stair with turned wood newel, moulded handrail and fascia framing close panels, 1833–41.

Monuments: In N. transept—against E. wall, (1) of John Clavell and [Myllecent (Gyfford)] and Susan (Coker) his wives, dated 1572, canopied altar-tomb (Plate 14) of Portland stone with brasses; the tomb-chest has moulded plinth containing band of quatrefoils and front and ends divided into panels enclosing cusped and sub-cusped quatrefoils containing blank shields; on the moulded top slab are freestanding columns and responds, reeded and fluted and with moulded capitals with egg-and-dart enrichment, supporting a canopy with an enriched entablature with quatre-foiled frieze and brattishing; the canopy soffit (Plate 15) has blind tracery decoration of much elaboration, including bosses, one representing a Tudor rose, a quatrefoil and diapered panels enclosing star-shaped sinkings (cf. Bere Regis parish church, Monument 1). The back wall is divided by buttress-like pilasters into three bays containing the following brasses: centre, figure of man in armour kneeling at prayer-desk, with inscription below and, above, achievement-of-arms of Clavell quartering Stokes (?); to N., woman wearing gown with puffed sleeves and ruffs at neck and wrists kneeling at prayer-desk, with four children and, above, shield-of-arms of Clavell impaling Gyfford; S., kneeling woman as before, without children, inscription below and, above, shield-of-arms of Clavell impaling Coker. The whole stands on a large Purbeck marble slab. In S. transept—on W. wall, (2) of Thomas Cockram, 1761, Portland stone and marble wall-tablet with pedimented cornice.

Paintings: In nave—on W. side of chancel arch and flanking recesses and on soffits of latter, trailing foliage, perhaps in part 16th-century, but very extensively repainted in 19th century. Panelling: In S. transept, on S. wall, of oak, with moulded styles and rails forming back to wall-bench, 18th-century. Piscinae: two; in chancel, in S. wall, (1) with chamfered two-centred head, 13th-century, circular dishing and rounded sill with underside shaped to stem and knop, 16th-century; in S. transept, in S. wall, (2) with two-centred head and circular dishing, 13th-century. Plate: includes Elizabethan cup (Plate 23) with band of strapwork ornament and cover-paten with engraved date 1574, both by Lawrence Stratford, and paten of 1810. Pulpit: of oak, hexagonal, with pairs of two-centred panels in each face, moulded base and cornice, on flared stem, approached by stairs with slender newel, handrail and plain balusters, c. 1840. Recess: In tower, in W. wall of ground storey, small and rectangular, now plastered, perhaps mediaeval. Stoup: In S. porch, in N.E. corner, with deep circular bowl, mediaeval, reset sideways. Tables: two; in nave, (1) of oak, small, with drawer, slender turned legs and plain stretchers, early 18th-century; in tower, (2) of oak and deal, painted and grained, with enriched bearers, turned legs, plain stretchers, 17th-century. Miscellaneous: Reset in W. face of tower, stone with fragment of black-letter inscription, early 16th-century; (see also below, Monument 6).

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 155-6 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> DOE (HRR), 1984, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of Purbeck amendment 1984, Aug-1984 13 (Scheduling record). SWX2829.

<6> Cramp, R, 2006, Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Vol VII. South-West England, 130 (Monograph). SDO17427.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA53/07484 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: A view of the Clavell tomb in St Peter's Church, Church Knowle.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB44/01330 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: A view of the Clavell tomb in St Peter's Church, Church Knowle.

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24519 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: A view of the Clavell tomb in St Peter's Church, Church Knowle.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24520 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: A view of the Clavell tomb in St Peter's Church, Church Knowle. Scope & Content: This print was received by the National Buildings Record on 3rd September 1942.

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24521 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: A view of the Clavell tomb in St Peter's Church, Church Knowle. Scope & Content: This print was received by the National Buildings Record on 5th December 1945.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457091 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 1 2025 12:04PM