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St Peter's Church, Bishopton
St Peter's Church, Bishopton, from the northwest
St Peter's Church, BishoptonLocation in County Durham
54°35′06″N 1°26′11″W / 54.5851°N 1.4364°W / 54.5851; -1.4364
OS grid reference	NZ 365 212
Location	High Street, Bishopton, County Durham
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Stockton Country Parishes
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	27 January 1988
Architect(s)	Sharpe and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	13th century (probable)
Completed	1847
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone with some limestone, slate roofs
Administration
Province	York
Diocese	Durham
Archdeaconry	Auckland
Deanery	Stockton
Parish	Bishopton
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Rev David Brooke
Curate(s)	Rev Paul Clayton
Laity
Reader(s)	Pam Russell
Churchwarden(s)	Freda Twizell, Margaret Tinkler
Parish administrator	Gwynn Dunn

St Peter's Church is in the village of Bishopton, County Durham, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Stockton, the archdeaconry of Auckland, and the diocese of Durham. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

History

The church dates probably from the 13th century. In 1846–47 it was largely rebuilt by the Lancaster architects Sharpe and Paley, who also added the north aisle and the tower.

Architecture

St Peter's is constructed in sandstone, with some limestone in the chancel, and has green slate roofs. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave with a north aisle and a tower at its west end, and a two-bay chancel with an organ chamber to its north. The tower is in three stages and has a west door, diagonal buttresses, and a polygonal stair turret at the southwest corner. On its west side is a clock face, and the top stage contains two-light bell openings. The tower is surmounted by a battlemented parapet. A fragment from a medieval grave-slab and a niche are incorporated in the west front of the tower. The west end of the church has a three-light window, and at the east end are three stepped lancet windows. The south wall of the church contains another medieval grave-slab, and a diamond-shaped sundial dated 1776. The interior of the church is plain and plastered. The font dates from the 13th century. The reredos is dated 1889 and is constructed from Caen stone and marble.

External features

In the churchyard is a grave headstone in sandstone dated 1786. At the top is a carved depiction of an angel's head with wings, and foliage. The headstone is listed at Grade II. Also listed at Grade II are the remains of a sandstone village cross dating from the medieval period.

See also

• List of works by Sharpe and Paley

References

1. St Peter, Bishopton, Church of England, retrieved 21 June 2010
2. ^ Historic England, "Church of St Peter, Bishopton (1185897)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 May 2012
3. Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 214, ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
4. Historic England, "Musgrave headstone 7 metres west of the Church of St Peter, Bishopton (1185898)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 May 2012
5. Historic England, "Remains of village cross 15 metres west of the Church of St Peter, Bishopton (1185899)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 May 2012

• Church of England church buildings in County Durham
• Grade II listed churches in County Durham
• English Gothic architecture in County Durham
• Churches completed in 1847
• Sharpe and Paley buildings
• Gothic Revival church buildings in England
• Gothic Revival architecture in County Durham
• Churches in the Borough of Darlington