St. Peter Thorpe Salvin - The Exterior

A general view of St. Peter's church in Thorpe Salvin

When I first visited St. Peter's church in Thorpe Salvin 20 years ago, whilst surveying various geological sites in this part of Rotherham, I only spent 5 minutes to take a few photos of the sundial and general views but was particularly stuck by the sandstone used in part of it, which was unfamiliar to me at the time.

The south elevation of St. Peter's church

Described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as “essentially a Norman church”, the only externally visible evidence of its date of c.1130 is in the lower part of the tower and above the porch, where small and narrow round arched windows can be seen.The chancel and north chapel were added in the early and late 14th century respectively, with the former built with roughly coursed and squared walling and the latter with fine ashlar, as also seen in the tower. 

Mottled Rotherham Red sandstone to the north aisle

Although its quarry source is not known, from the 12th to the 14th century, dolomitic limestone from the Cadeby Formation has been used in all of the parts of the church so far described, as well as for the extension of the tower in the 15th century; however, the clerestory has been raised and the north aisle has been built using very large blocks of mottled Rotherham Red sandstone, as seen in the later phases of building at Harthill, Todwick and Wales.

Various masonry styles and window designs

Walking anticlockwise around the church, starting at the tower, the various windows are designed in various styles, from simple slit and lancet windows to the more elaborate Decorated Gothic style with elaborate tracery and the Perpendicular Gothic style, where wider arches, squared head window surrounds and simple tracery are favoured.

A square headed window to the west end of the north aisle

The doorways on the north elevation, one of which has been blocked, have ogee arches that were particularly common in the 14th century but it is the highly decorated Norman south door, together with the font, which makes the effort to see this church worthwhile - when it is unlocked.

The Norman south door