Nottingham St Peter

Archaeology

Core fabric C13th, nave, north and south aisle piers, though earliest fabric may be C12th

Tower base C14th

C14th north arcade with capitals of 1495 modified above piers

Remainder of nave and tower C15th in Perpendicular style

North clerestory renewed late C17th

Vault made 1739 below east end of north aisle for Smith family

Chancel rebuilt in 1875-7 and repaired in 1951

North transept and crypt added in 1877

Significant Interior Features

Evidence for wall paintings noted in 1927 in spandrels of arches on north side of nave (not now visible)

Damage to north walls (interior and exterior) may partly be due to cannon fire during the Civil War

Line of pre-clerestory roof visible over tower arch

Medieval spiral staircase, formerly serving original rood screen now gives access to screen of 1898

Reused medieval altar stone in wall near head of rood loft stair

Timbers and roofs

	Nave	Chancel	Tower
Main	1468* supported on angel brackets	1877	C14th stone vaulting
S.Aisle	1468
N.Aisle
Other principal
Other timbers	Rood screen 1898

*Nave roof: dendrochronological dating from University of Nottingham = 1468 (+/- 15 yrs)

Bellframe

Two tier steel frame by Taylors of Loughborough installed in 1965. Extended in 1994 when the sharp second bell was installed. Replaced wooden frame and fittings made and installed by John Wright, bellhanger of Nottingham in 1771. This in turn had replaced a wooden frame fitted in 1522-3.

Not scheduled for preservation Grade 5.

Walls

	Nave	Chancel	Tower
Plaster covering & date	No plaster. Aisles C20th
Potential for wall paintings	Paintings noted 1927.	Nil	Nil

Excavations and potential for survival of below-ground archaeology

Watching briefs were carried out in 1998 for works by Marks and Spencer plc on the construction of an extension to the store adjacent to the church. No significant archaeological stratigraphy was discovered. The churchyard has been considerably disturbed in the past century.

A watching brief was carried out in December 1998 on the opening-up of the south nave doorway (John Samuels Archaeological Consulants Report No. 456/98/02). Most of the blocking material appeared to date from the 1950s and was recorded.

The overall potential for the survival of below-ground archaeology in the churchyard is considered low-moderate and below the present interior floors is considered to be high-very high.

Exterior:Domestic/ecclesiastical C11th-C20th, low incidence of surviving burials likely on all sides due to proximity of streets and walkways.

Interior:Floor levels raised (see pier bases) but extent of C19th disturbance unknown. Vaults known to exist and whole is likely to be highly complex mixture of C15th building layers with unknown survival of earlier deposits beneath, punctuated by late medieval graves and post-medieval vaults.