St Peter & St Paul

Preston

Rutland

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St Peter & St Paul's lies surrounded by Yew and Cypress trees in the small village or Preston in the countries smallest county, Rutland. With its medieval stonework both inside an out and its stained glass windows it is one of Rutland's little treasures and well worth a visit.

St Peter & St Paul Main Street Preston Rutland LE15 9NJ Usually open to visitors Parking on roadside close to entrance

MAIN FEATURES OF INTEREST

v Elaborate marble reredo featuring an array of angelic hosts

v Stone sedilia with carved hood

v Large stained glass East window by Gerente from 1856

v Interesting wood and brass font cover

v Two small pieces of mosaic in the chancel floor from the C5 church of St John Studios in Istanbul

HISTORY

The church of St Peter and St Paul can be found on the west side of the small Rutland village of Preston, surrounded by an old graveyard which is itself enclosed by an old ironstone wall.

It was constructed in the late 12th and early 13th century, with the later addition of its south porch in the 14th century. Like a number of other churches in the area it is made of locally quarries ironstone which over time has become encrusted with a variety of lichens. The building consists of a tower topped by a steeple at the west end, a nave, with clerestory, a chancel, aisles to the north and south, with chapels at the east end of these. The north chapel is currently used as an organ chamber but the south remains as a small chapel. On the north side an extending the full length of the chancel is a vestry. The church roof is made of lead except for the porch which is topped in local stone slates. There are continuous plain parapets to the chancel and nave and also to the south aisle, but the roofs of the north aisle and porch are eaved. Internally the walls have been stripped of plaster revealing the ironstone beneath..

IMAGES

	A winged mythical creature, one of the many stone gargoyles which adorn the exterior of this church.		Detail of an angel from the side of the ornate reredo.		View from the nave looking East towards the altar with its carved reredo and large East window.
	One of the two mosaics in the chancel floor from the C5 church of St John Studios in Istanbul. These were brought to Preston from Istanbul by John Codrington (Grandson of General Sir William of Crimean fame).		One of the two mosaics in the chancel floor from the C5 church of St John Studios in Istanbul. These were brought to Preston from Istanbul by John Codrington (Grandson of General Sir William of Crimean fame).		View of the font looking towards the East
	Gold and red painted wooden boss from the chancel ceiling featuring a female looking face thought to be Mary Magdalene		At the East end of the North Aisle is a pipe organ
	Gold and red painted wooden boss from the chancel ceiling featuring a bearded figure who is presumably Jesus		The font dates from the 13th Century and has a square plain bowl with bevelled angles on a circular stem and four cylindrical legs
	Stained glass panel from the East Window by Gerente from 1856 featuring the Baptism of Christ
	Stained glass panel from the East Window by Gerente from 1856 featuring the Crucifixion of Christ		Christ carrying the cross prior to the crucifixion
	Jesus following the resurrection				Ornate brass and wooden font lid
	View of the chancel from the south showing the Priests door and the stonework on the outside of the sedilia.		Ornately carved sedilia in the chancel with the priests door to the right
			External view of the East Window showing the elaborate tracery		View looking north east from the south door, note the south chapel on the right and the distant organ occupying the north chapel

REFERENCES

v British History On Line HERE

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