Church of St Peter, Great Totham (EHER 8207)

Parish Church. Chancel and nave 13th or 14th century. 19th century north aisle, vestry and organ chamber, south vestry and porch, 19th century restorations and rebuilt bell-turret. Walls of flint rubble, puddingstone, freestone and oolite. Red plain tiled roofs with terracotta finials. Shingle clad spire.

December 1959. Grade II* listed. A parish church with a 13th/14th century chancel and nave and a 19th century north aisle, vestry and organ chamber, south vestry and porch. There are also 19th century restorations, including the bell-turret which was rebuilt. The walls are of flint rubble, puddingstone, freestone and oolite. The roofs are covered in red plain tile with terracotta finials. The spire is shingle clad spire. <1> See photos <2>. The walls are mainly flint rubble, dressings are oolite and hard limestone roofs are tiled. Chancel may be 13th century but the earliest detail here or in the nave is 14th century. The south-east quoins of the chancel may be 13th century. A lancet window in each side wall may represent ancient features, otherwise all windows and archways are modern. In the nave, the easternmost window in the south wall is probably early 16th century, the middle window is early 14th century, the westernmost window and the south doorway to the east of it are modern. In the west wall is a 14th century window. The chancel roof has 15th century moulded wall plates and a moulded tie-beam at the west end. The nave roof is similar with similar moulded wall plates. The bell turret at the west end rests on four posts, all modern except that on the north-east. There is early 16th century glass in the south-east and middle south windows. The remains of early 15th and early 16th century wall paintings survive in the nave. There are 14th century piscinae, one in the nave and one in the chancel. Fragments of moulded beams in rood-loft built into the south wall of nave. <3> <4> Various 19th-20th century details in church, including the font, south chapel, sometimes known as De Gespigny chapel from 19th-20th century monuments in it to that family. A number of monuments in the churchyard are listed: a composite monument to the Clarke family, from about 1758-1817, with five ridged coffin tombs on a plain stone base with a brick plinth; a chest tomb of approximately 1855 with brick plinth and stone base slab; three cast iron early 20th century monuments, a rare type of memorial. The list description implies others are present in the churchyard. <4> Nave and chancel probably 14th century and there are 15th century roofs. <5> In 19th century the church was restored, when the north aisle, organ chamber, south vestry and porch were added and the bell-turret rebuilt. In the chancel is a brass of Elizabeth (Pilborough), wife of Richard Coke, 1606, and Elizabeth his daughter, wife of Thomas Wilde. Plate includes a cup and paten of 1630. <3> <5> Nave and chancel of uncertain date. Earliest detail is 14th century. Graded CIIIa by Rodwell. Rebuilt bell-turret and north aisle of 1878, with reset Norman window in the west gable. <6> Site Assessment: External ground level high on south and there is a choked gutter on the north side. Internal dampness affects the south side of the nave. Heavily restored and superficially of little interest, the potential of the church is impossible to assess. There has been dense burial in the graveyard and interment continues west of the church. <6> NRHE data transfer: St Peter's Church [NAT]. <7> See also <8>.