Church of St Peter, Goldhanger (EHER 13451)

A parish church with an 11th century chancel and nave. In the 14th century, the south aisle was rebuilt and probably also the west tower and west end of the church rebuilt. In the late 15th century the south chapel was built and by 1780 the south porch was in existence. There are 19th and 20th century restorations, including the rebuilding of the south arcade and chancel arch. A watching brief in 2010 recorded 88 probably Victorian burials.

Monument description derived from merging with EHER 13450, EHER 13452 and EHER 38791: December 1959. Grade I listed. A parish church with an 11th century chancel and nave. In the 14th century, the south aisle was rebuilt and probably also the west tower and west end of the church rebuilt. In the late 15th century the south chapel was built and by 1780 the south porch was in existence. There are 19th and 20th century restorations, including the rebuilding of the south arcade and chancel arch. The church is built of flint rubble, septaria and puddingstone, and has limestone, Roman tile and brick dressings. The roofs are covered in red plain tile. The chancel and south chapel east walls are each gabled and with angle buttresses. There is a Roman brick and tile north quoin and Roman brick and tile in the east quoins. The nave north wall has two 19th/20th century windows with tracery under the square heads. There are 16th century moulded labels representing the four winged beasts of the Revelation: the lion, the calf, the human face and the flying eagle. Between these windows is a 12th century window similar to that in chancel wall. There is a probably 14th century crenelated west tower, 10 feet square, of three stages, with three bands and buttresses to the angles. Internally, there is a 19th century patterned coloured tile floor, and painted panelled reredos. Other features include a 15th century arch, possibly 13th century piscina, and possibly 14th century carving of a man, angel and ivy leaves. The south chapel has an altar tomb of around 1531 to Thomas Heighaiu, Alys, Awdrie and Francis, his wives. It is made from Purbeck marble, and has sides of four sunk and cusped panels with carved spandrels and central shields, that to east halved. The top slab has a moulded edge and brass figure of woman in pedimental head-dress. There are indents of a man in armour, two other wives and four shields. It has a later (1540) brass insertion to Anthony Heyham and his wife Anne, with two shields inserted in earlier indents. A 20th century wood carving, 'Hands' by H. Crawshay Frost is also present. <1> See photos <2>. The walls are of coursed flint-rubble with dressings of Roman brick and limestone, and the roof is tiled. The chancel and nave were built in the 11th century, possibly also the south aisle, which was rebuilt in the late 14th century. The west tower was added in the 2nd half of the 15th century, and the west end of the church was rebuilt. The south chapel was added shortly afterwards. The church was restored in the 19th and 20th centuries (see below). Features and fittings: 12th century round-headed window in north wall of chancel and one in north wall of nave; possible 12th century doorway in north wall of nave, much altered now with a 15th century arch; late 15th century arch in the south wall of nave; partially restored late 14th century south doorway in south aisle; 15th century roof in nave; possible 13th century piscina in chancel; possible 14th century carving of a man, angel and ivy leaves; 15th century piscina in south chapel; altar tomb of around 1531 in south chapel, with brass of 1540 inserted into earlier indents. A door in the second stage of the tower is possibly 15th century. <3> <4> <5> In 1982 a hole was made in the north wall of Lady Chapel, for the insertion of Aumbrey. The wall consisted of a facing plaster over grey stone and septaria set in mortar, the filling consisted of smooth weathered stones, possibly unworked flints, mixed with mortar. Small pieces of red tile or brick also used. This wall may be the original outside wall before the south chapel was added in the 15th century. <6> Much Roman brick and tile used as dressings in walls of church. The Church was restored in 19th/20th centuries, when the chancel arch and south arcade were rebuilt, and the south porch was added. The east window is modern also. <7> Note: Sources <6> and <7> may be referring to the same material. See aerial photograph. <8> November 2010. Watching brief. Archaeological monitoring was carried out on groundworks associated with the construction of a new meeting room on the north side of St Peter’s Church. The ground on the north side is artificially high and falls slightly away from the church to the north wall of the churchyard. An unstratified sherd of Early Medieval Ware, datable to the 12th to earlier 13th century, was retrieved. The church footings were examined during the course of the monitoring works and found to be quite shallow. They were slightly stepped out from the church and comprised three courses of flint and squared limestone bonded in a light yellow lime mortar. The only archaeologically interesting find was the single sherd of unstratified medieval pottery, which represents the only material not associated with either the graves (EHER 82133) or refurbishment works to the church in the 1850s. <9> NRHE data transfer: St Peter's Church (C of E) [NAT]. <10> North side of church shows its 11th century origin. <11> See also <12>.