St Peter's Church, Little Wittenham
St. Peter's Church in Little Wittenhamconsists of a chancel with north vestry and organ chamber, nave, west tower and south porch. With the exception of the 14th-century west tower the church was entirely rebuilt in 1863, but preserved in the vestry are two water-colours of the old church. They show a pointed chancel arch dying on to the responds, a three-light east window and a four-centred plastered chancel roof. There was an Elizabethan south chapel opening into the chancel by a wooden arcade, and containing the monuments of the Dunch family. The nave had a flat plaster ceiling. The modern work of the nave and chancel is Gothic of late 13th-century type with a three-light east window and a pointed chancel arch. A vestry and organ chamber were added on the north side in 1902. The west tower is four stages high with diagonal western buttresses and embattled parapet; at the south-east angle is a projecting turret finished with an embattled parapet and an octagonal pyramidal stone roof. The tower arch is two-centred and of two chamfered orders dying into the side walls. The 14th-century west window is of two lights and the second stage has cruciform loops. The third stage is lighted by pointed single-light windows and the bell-chamber by two-light windows of early 15thcentury date. The 15th century font is octagonal, with a moulded base. The church contains numerous brasses and monuments. In the chancel is an altar tomb with a Purbeck marble slab and brass to Geoffrey Kidwelly (d. 1483) with a well-executed figure in civilian costume and two shields, party palewise a leaping wolf. On the front of the tomb are four panels with as many stone shields with the same arms, the wolves being placed 'regardant' in pairs. Above the tomb is a low depressed and cusped canopy flanked by embattled pinnacles with iron prickets at the top; the soffit has a sloping vault and the back of the tomb has quatrefoil panels with blank shields. On the chancel floor is a brass to John Churmound, rector (d. 1433), with a small figure in mass vestments and indents of two shields. Near it is another to David Kidwelly (d. 1454), 'hostiarius aule regis Henrici VI,' with a small figure in civilian dress, with an obliterated quarterly coat of arms. A fairsized figure of a lady commemorates Cecily wife of Geoffrey Kidwelly (d. 1472), and a rudely engraved figure on a plate is to Anne daughter of Henry Dunch and Anne his wife (d. 1683). On the west wall of the nave is a brass commemorating Anne wife of Edmund Dunch (d. 1627). Under the tower is another brass inscription to William Winchcombe (d. 1614), with his arms, a cheveron engrailed with three cinquefoils thereon between three lapwings and a chief charged with a fleur de lis between two spear-heads, all impaling Norreys. Against the north wall, in a Jacobean stone frame, is a brass plate with kneeling figures of William Dunch and his wife Mary (Barnes); the date is blank, and there are two enamelled shields of Dunch and Dunch impaling Barnes, two bars between six voided lozenges. Above are two Jacobean stone arches, the first inclosing a long epitaph to Mary Barnes, and the second with a kneeling figure, in armour, of John Barnes, with his arms above. Against the west wall is placed a handsome alabaster monument to Sir William Dunch (d. 1611), Mary his wife, and William his son (d. 1594). The male effigy reclines on one elbow Purbeck marble slab and brass to Geoffrey Kidwelly and is dressed in rich armour, the female figure below it is recumbent with a ruff and stomacher; both have been coloured and gilt. On the front of the altar tomb are figures of four sons, three daughters and two chrisom children. On the wall at the back are two shields, both bearing Dunch quartering Barnes, Fettiplace and Kenwarde, all impaling the arms of Cromwell, with six quarterings. The broken remains of the canopy of this monument are stored in the vicarage barn. On the tower floor is a slab to Mary (Dunch) wife of William Winchcombe and Sir Edward Clarke (d. 1646), with a shield of Clarke, a fesse with three roundels thereon between three crosses paty, impaling Dunch. There is a ring of five bells. The plate consists of a silver flagon (c. 1640) inscribed 'the gift of Lady Mary Clarke widow'; a silver gilt chalice with three rubies (c. 1696–7) and a silver gilt cover paten inscribed 'R.C. 1714' (Robert Cooke, rector). The registers begin in 1538. Historical information about St. Peter's Church is provided by 'Parishes: Little Wittenham', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 380-384. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp380-384 [accessed 22 March 2023]. St. Peter's Church is a Grade II* listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST PETER, Little Wittenham - 1285238 | Historic England. For more information about St. Peter's Church see Parishes: Little Wittenham | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk). |
