Illustrated tour part 3 - north aisle

West end

The west end of St Peter's Church, NottinghamThe tower has a ribbed vault ceiling. The organ was originally on a gallery under the tower but was removed to the north transept of the new chancel in 1878, and the gallery was removed from the front of the tower arch at the same time.

The oak screen at the front of the tower was put there in 1887, and the royal coat of arms (just visible above the door) is that of William IV, taken from the Archdeacon's Court which used to meet in the south aisle. The gallery railings hold a golden emblem, whose design includes the crossed keys of St Peter.

The stained glass window in the tower is by Powell of Whitefriars Glassworks, after the style of William Morris, and is in memory of the Rev George Edgcombe who was Rector from 1870 to 1906. It is thought to be the finest glass in the church.

The original roof line of the second church, rebuilt in 1180, can be seen on the tower wall. It can be plainly seen that west end is asymmetrical, which seems to be because the north arcade (on the right) was built inside the existing north wall of the nave (see below).

 

North aisle

The north aisle of St Peter's Church, Nottingham, seen across the naveThe north aisle is seen across the nave from the south aisle. The organ can just be seen behind the right-hand pillar.

The north arcade is in the Perpendicular style and dates from 1360. The tower arch does not match either the arcade or the nave, and it has been suggested as a possibility that the building or rebuilding of a north aisle outside the then-existing north wall was contemplated, and when this had been done it was intended to pull down the old north wall and leave an accurately balanced church. The Black Death would put an end to any such scheme. Mr Robert Evans said in 1876 that the roof of the north aisle was destroyed in 1719 to make room for a gallery then in the chancel, and also suggested that in order to secure the necessary headroom for those sitting in the gallery the arcade had to be raised and the roof with it. The points of the arches of this arcade are higher than those of the south arcade. The piers date from about 1360 but were repaired in 1495 in Gedling stone. The gallery was taken away in the restoration of 1878.

 

North clerestory and roof

The north clerestory and roof of St Peter's Church, NottinghamThe north side of the nave is of the 14th century and carries a Tudor roof of Sherwood oak provided by Sir Nicholas Strelley, possibly about the year 1500. It bears the arms of the Kempe and Strelley families on the central bosses.

The north side clerestory windows of 1799 replace those destroyed in January 1644 at the time of the Civil War. (Those on the south side were renewed in major restorations ending in 1927.)

Part one
Exterior
Part two
Nave and chancel
Forward to part four
South aisle
Part five
Churchyard

The text is adapted from the Church Guide written by the late Allan Derry


http://www.stpetersnottingham.org/guide/church3.htm
© St Peter's Church, Nottingham
Last revised 13th October 1997