Widmerpool St Peter

Features and Fittings

Chancel

Chancel roof

Reredos

Stall on the north
of the choir

The chancel has a rib-vaulted roof adorned with bosses of leaves and the windows are shouldered by clustered marble shafts with capitals of flowers and foliage.

The white stone reredos is richly carved with the Agnus Dei (the Holy Lamb), Evangelists and Angels behind a wooden Jacobean Altar Table.

There is a single choir stall either side, each with intricate decoration in the form of carved frontages, possibly showing three ‘psalmists’.

Nave

The font is situated in the south-west corner. It is of 14th century origin with open circular bowl, decorated with floral carved oak mounting around the rim and supported by a Victorian stone pedestal standing on a plinth. The register reveals a child was baptised in it on the day Charles Stuart was beheaded (1649), a fact echoed in the unmarked graves in the churchyard of two soldiers killed at Willoughby Field in 1648.

The nave furnishings comprise of several rows of sturdy solid oak pews (one is known to bear a ‘delivery note’ underneath) arranged either side of the central aisle. There are no pews in the side aisles.

The wooden pulpit is on a carved stone plinth accessible by five stone steps built in a ‘half-circle’, suggesting an approach from the wooden sidescreen on the north side.

There is an unusual elaborate wrought iron lectern with matching brass candle holders on either side.

There are eight decorative metal lamps affixed to the arcade columns. Ten lamps were originally supplied by De Wilde of London and date from the 1887-88 restoration.

Font

Pews in the nave

Pulpit

Pulpit detail

Lectern

Lamp

North Aisle

Coats of Arms

On the north wall of the memorial enclosure at the west end of the north aisle are the Arms of William Mackay Low (1860-1905) which show heraldic achievement on armorial brass plate. A blazon of 'Gules, two wolves passant argent. Below the shield the motto 'Fortitudine' (with fortitude). Also in the north wall, the impaled Arms of Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Tremenheere Grenfell KCB, CMG (1845-1906) and his wife Amy Grenfell (1848-1917), sister to Harriet Annie Robertson. The blazon is 'Gules, three organ rests or – Grenfell impaling Gules two wolves passant argent – Low'. The shield has the motto 'Loyal Devoir' (Loyal Duty).

Between these memorials is a marble memorial to major Robertson’s parents – viz. Commander George Coke Robinson RN (1796-1862) and Sarah Sophia Coke (1808-1891) – showing the impaled arms of husband and wife. North of the memorial to Harriet Robertson are the courtesy arms of her husband Major Robertson. Other shields on the north wall dedicate the arms of various family members.