St. Peter Thorpe Salvin - The Interior

The 12th century font at St. peter's church in Thorpe Salvin

The Thorpe Salvin Garden Trail is a very popular local event and it brings very many visitors of all ages to St. Peter's church and, although I arrived with a full set of photographic equipment, there were simply too many people wandering around its interior for me to set up my tripod and I had to be content with taking a few quick snaps to record the principal features seen in its interior.

Details of the relief carvings on the Norman font

The 12th century font is carved from a single block of Caen Stone, a soft Jurassic limestone that was extensively imported from Normandy after the Norman Conquest in 1066 and which has been used in the Tower of London and Canterbury Cathedral, amongst other places. There are various scenes carved in relief around part of its circumference, which are extremely detailed, and these deserve further investigation at a much quieter time.

A general view of the arcade and the chancel arch

The 2-bay round arched arcade has semicircular responds and a central octagonal pier, with various styles of decoration to the capital - and the chancel arch is similar in style; however, that of the tall pointed tower arch is transitional between the Norman and Early English Gothic styles.

A detail of the decoration to the eastern respond

As well as the general stonework to the interior being lime washed, the walls to the upper parts of the nave are plastered and, although it is not possible to see the differences between the original Norman masonry and that used for the raising of the clerestory, it is interesting to note that the extreme thickness of the walls – as seen in the window reveals – is continued to roof level.

A view along the nave to the tower from the chancel

Viewed from the north aisle, other features of particular interest are the asymmetrical arch to the north chapel and an original roofline, as seen from the north aisle, a sedilia in the east wall of the chancel and various memorials to members of the Sandford family, which are set both into the floor and on the walls in the nave and sanctuary.

A general view of the sedilia in the sanctuary