Kineton, St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church, Kineton

St Peter's Church, Kineton, stands on the road to Warwick in the centre of this historic Warwickshire village. The church dates to the 13th century, with heavy rebuilding by the gentleman architect Sanderson Miller in 1755.

History

Kineton is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 but there is no priest recorded, suggesting that the church had not yet been built. The earliest written record of a church in Kineton comes from the court records of King Henry I (1100-1135). We know that the current building was reconsecrated by the Bishop of Worcester in 1315.

The oldest part of the church is the 14th-century west tower, complete with a superb west doorway. The remainder of the church was rebuilt by Sanderson Miller and then rebuilt again in 1877 by John Belcher. The west doorway predates the tower and appears to be the only surviving feature of the first church on this site.

The 13th-century west doorway

Sanderson Miller

Sanderson Miller (1716-1780) was one of the first 18th-century architects to work in Gothic Revival style. He was primarily known for his work on country house estates such as Farnborough Hall, Hagley Hall, Croome Court, and Lacock Abbey, and he also did extensive landscape garden design. He was born and died at Radway, a few miles east of Kineton.

The church is built of Hornton Stone, a striking reddish-brown ironstone that seems to glow reddish orange in the sunlight. Hornton Stone is abundant in the Banbury area and its surrounding villages and many of the buildings you see in the area are built from this locally quarried limestone.

14th-century effigy of a priest

Unfortunately, though it is easy to work, Hornton Stone is too soft to last and, as a result, it erodes quickly. St Peter's Church is suffering from erosion and has spent time on the Historic England 'Heritage at Risk' registry.

Highlights

• 13th-century west doorway
• George I coat of arms
• 14th-century effigy of a priest
• 18th-century gallery
• Bentley memorials

The oldest interior feature is a worn effigy of a priest in the north transept. The effigy has been dated to the late 14th century but there is no evidence as to who the effigy represents.

The church boasts a wealth of 18th-century floor slabs and wall monuments, including memorials to three members of the Bentley family in the chancel.

Also in the chancel is a wall tablet to Edward Nicholas, (d. 1745). To the left of the chancel arch is a brass commemorating John Venour, a surgeon, dated 1722, while on the south wall of the nave is another brass to Rachel Maides (d. 1728).

In the north aisle is a royal coat of arms dated to 1724, during the reign of King George I.

17th-century military banner

The Kineton Flag

Perhaps the most interesting feature is not a memorial, but a tattered banner hanging in the north transept. This shows the cross of St George and two red circles in the upper quadrants.

The flag may date to the Civil War period and is thought to be related to the Battle of Edgehill, which was fought a few miles to the east of Kineton in 1642. If true, it would make the Kineton Flag among the oldest surviving banners from the English Civil War. It is similar to a design used more recently for rear admirals in the Royal Navy.

The 19th-century octagonal font

On the east wall of the transept are 18th and 19th-century memorials to members of the Welchman family. The earliest is in memory of Robert Welchman (d. 1790) and buried at St Martin in the Fields, London. The flowery epitaph reads:

A young Man sincerely lamented who was suddenly cut off in the Bloom of Youth, when He gave the most flattering Hopes of being the Source of Happiness to all his Friends and an Ornament to Society, by a distinguish'd excellence of Character, by the Benevolence and Integrity of his Heart, and a diligent attention to his studies.

Modest, Sober, Exemplary, Faithful in all his Attachment to his Friends, tenderly affectionate and dutifull to his Parents, Serious and devout in his Duty to God. Go, Reader, and profit by his early Death, remembering that "Honourable age is not that which standeth in length of Time, nor that that is measur'd by number of Years, But Wisdom is the grey Hair unto Men and an unspotted Life is old Age."

Welchman family wall tablets

Nearby is a memorial to Major Frederick Welchman (d. 1838) who served twenty-eight years in India but was killed within a few months of his return to England when his fowling piece discharged accidentally.

Look for the richly-coloured stained-glass window installed in 1894 by John Griffin, who served as a churchwarden for 30 years, in honour of his wife, Martha.

Visiting

Kineton church is impressive, both in size and in the number of historical memorials in the church interior. It stands on the main road to Warwick, near the village centre. There was no dedicated car park that we could see, but we found it easy to park along the road. The church was open when we visited.