St Peter’s Church, Hockwold

St Peter’s is a redundant Anglican church in the villageSmall rural collection of buildings with a church. of Hockwold cum Wilton, Norfolk. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed buildingStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection.,^[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.^[2]

St Peter’s was formerly the parish church of Hockwold, before that village joined with neighbouring Wilton to form Hockwold cum Wilton. The naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety. and tower date from the mid-14th century, and a chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy. was added in the 15th century. The church underwent a restoration in 1857.^[1]

A headstone in the churchyard, dated 1703, is a separately designated Grade II listed structure.^[3]

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed in flint with ashlarMasonry of squared and finely cut or worked stone, commonly used for the facing of a building. dressings; the roofs are slate. Its plan consists of a nave with a south aislePart of a church on either side of the nave or choir, separated from them by arcades, colonnades or piers. More generally, a passageway between seats in an auditorium, shelves in a supermarket and so on., chancel, south porchVestibule before the main entrance to a Christian church, less sacred than the church proper. and south-west tower.^[1] The tower is of two stages externally, with stepped angled buttresses, but internally has three stages. There are two-light belfryShelter containing one or more bells. windows; the window in the tower’s west wall also has two lights, and is reticulated. The bell-ringing chamber has rounded lancetsTall, narrow window typically associated with the Gothic architectural style.. The windows in the main body of the church include three-light clerestoryUppermost range of windows in the wall of a church, or a row of windows above eye-level. windows with supermullions and a three-light east window in the Perpendicular style, below a quatrefoil oculusRound window in a wall, or an opening in the top of a dome..^[1]

Interior

The roof has alternating tie beams and false hammer beams. The south aisle is separated from the nave by a four-bay arcade, which has octagonal piers and double chamfered arches. The aisle contains a bench sediliaSeats for the officiating clergy found on the south side of an altar. and a piscinaSmall basin in a Christian church used to clean the priest's hands and the sacred vessels used at Mass.. To the left of the east window is a wall monument to Sir Cyril Wyche who died in 1780,^[1] and was one of the first members of the Royal Society.^[2]