Relhan Collection : 30 Barton church. S view

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>St Peter’s church is basically C14, with fragments of a building of c. 1100 in S wall of chancel, which was extended later in C12. It was rebuilt in field stones, rubble and clunch in 2 phases of C14, and had steeply pitched gable roofs. A tower added c.1400 followed the pattern of five other Cambs churches, thought to be the work of a single master mason. The nave and chancel walls are limewashed over a lime-plaster render showing disrepair, as reproduced by Relhan. The lead covering of the C15 roofs was replaced by slate 1828. Detail of the C14 church, faithfully copied by Relhan, is a valuable record of the quality of the window tracery, which was replaced either in 1828 or in the later restoration by WM Fawcett, 1885-6. Other faithful details include gargoyle spouts and tiny windows on the tower, identical today. The chancel was in poor condition in 1561 and remained so during C17, but the church was considered in reasonable condition in C18. The structural elements of the original gable roofs were used by Fawcett to reinstate the C14 roof profile. Two further windows in 1908 added to the apparent over-restoration of rendered walls and replacement windows. The church porch, perhaps originally with a parish room above, was restored 1956. </p><p>Bradley and Pevsner 2014; Davis EM pers comm; VCH 1973; Wright 1991 </p></p>