Church of St Peter, Draycott

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Church of St Peter
St Peters Church Draycott - exterior 5.jpg
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Church of St Peter
Location within Somerset
51°15′30″N2°45′08″W / 51.2582°N 2.7521°W / 51.2582; -2.7521
OS grid reference TL439135
LocationDraycott, Somerset
CountryEngland
Denomination Anglican
Website
History
Status Parish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II listed
Designated29 January 1987
Architect(s) C. E. Giles
Architectural type Gothic Revival
Years built1861

St Peter's Church is a Anglican parish church in Draycott, Somerset, England. It dates from 1861. Designed by C. E. Giles the church is a Grade II listed building. It holds a notable font by the celebrated Victorian art-architect William Burges, which the church controversially attempted to sell in 2006.

Contents

History and description

The church was designed by C. E. Giles and consecrated in 1861. [1] The building stone is rubble, known locally as 'Draycott Marble', a dolomitic conglomerate quarried nearby. [2] The church is in a simple Early English revival style. Historic England's listing record describes it as "competent", [1] while Pevsner considers it "modest". [3] The interior contains a rood screen fashioned in wrought iron. It is later in date than the church and Historic England suggests that the designer may have been George Fellowes Prynne. [1]

The church is an active parish church in the benefice of Cheddar, Draycott and Rodney Stoke. [4]

Burges font

The church's most notable feature is its font by William Burges. [5] It is uncertain how the font ended up at St Peter's. Research suggests that it was commissioned by the Rev. H. G. Yatman, a patron for whom Burges undertook a number of West Country-based commissions. [lower-alpha 1] [3] The font's size suggests that it was not originally designed for St Peter's. It is attributed to Burges on stylistic grounds, and on the basis of a sketch in his notebooks. The style is Romanesque. It was likely sculpted by Thomas Nicholls. [3] The faces of the font depict the Four Ages of Man, a design Burges subsequently reused at St Mary's, Studley Royal in Yorkshire, and at his own London home, The Tower House. [3]

Controversially, in 2006, the church attempted to sell the font for £110,000. [7] The church had been approached by a private collector who offered to buy it and to fund a replacement. The vicar, the Rev. Stanley Price, contended that the sale was essential to meet a repair and restoration bill of an estimated £170,000. [8] The sale was initially approved by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, Timothy J Briden but permission was subsequently refused when the Victorian Society appealed to the Court of Arches, one of the Church of England's highest courts. [8] The court found "no compelling need to dispose of the font had been demonstrated" and concluded that, if allowed, "much of which adorns and adds interest, both historically and architecturally, to our churches would be lost to future generations." [9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Burges's work for the Rev. Yatman included the Yatman Cabinet, now held by the Victoria and Albert Museum. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Church of St Peter, Draycott (Grade II) (1058589)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  2. ↑ Atthill 1976, p. ?.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Foyle & Pevsner 2011, p. 488.
  4. ↑ "Benefice of Cheddar, Draycott and Rodney Stoke". Church of England . Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Church of St Peter". Parishes of Rodney Stoke and Draycott. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  6. ↑ V&A 1996, p. 154.
  7. ↑ "Historic Font to Remain at Draycott". Heritage and History. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Font sale go ahead will help church in need of repair". Christian Publishing and Outreach (CPO) Central. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Re St Peter, Draycott". Cambridge Journals Online. Retrieved 26 July 2024.

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