Listed Building record MDR734 - St. Peter's Church, Somersal Herbert

Church of 1874 by C J Neale. Norman font. (1) Somersall may originally have been a chapelry of Sudbury, being mentioned in the Taxation Roll of 1275 as "Somershall capella". It may not have become an independent rectory until the 15th century. However, the age of the font shows that the chapel had rights of baptism as early as the 12th century. In 1823 the dimensions of the church were 55ft 5ins by 18ft 1in. A sketch of that date shows that all the exterior features of the church were 'much debased, the window in the south wall having a round-headed light, flanked on ach side by a square one, after the style that prevailed about the time of Queen Anne.' A sketch taken some years earlier seems to show buttresses of the Early English period. In 1836 the body of the church was rebuilt. However, in 1874 the church was rebuilt again, in a 'much better though unassuming style', probably on the same foundations as the original chapel. It simply consists of a nave and chancel, with a bell turret on the west gable. A red brick south porch with stone facings of the time of Queen Anne remains from the preceding building. (2) Parish church rebuilt in 1836 and again in 1874 by C J Neale of Mansfield, probably re-using medieval masonry. A west tower, possibly by Currey & Thompson of Derby, was added in 1912. The building is of sandstone ashlar and red brick, with Welsh slate roofs, stone coped gables with plain kneelers and a cross finial on the east gable. The gabled south porch is in the style of c1700 but probably dates from 1836, re-using old materials. Inside the church is an early 12th century circular tub font with intersecting blind arcading and a frieze of lozenges overlaid with intermittent circles. (3)