The church

The parish church of SS. PETER AND PAUL consists of a chancel with a south vestry and organ-chamber, nave, south aisle with a small south porch, and west tower.

The history of the development as shown in the fabric itself has been much confused by modern restorations and repairs, but the nave probably marks the original 12th-century or earlier nave and doubtless had a chancel. The various repairs culminated in a restoration in 1872 which was drastic, perhaps of necessity because of earlier alterations; it included the entire rebuilding of the north wall of the nave, the renewal of the chancel arch, &c., and the provision of new roofs.

The chancel (about 25½ ft. by 15 ft.) has an east window of three trefoiled lights and net tracery in a two-centred head. It is all modern except the inner splays of rubble with angle dressings and the chamfered rear-arch of the 14th century.

The nave (about 41½ ft. by 19½ ft.) has three modern north windows, each of two trefoiled lights and tracery.

The mid-late-12th-century south arcade is of three 12¾ ft. bays.

There are five bells: the treble of 1662; the second is medieval inscribed: '[S]ancta Katerina ora pro nobis'; the third and fourth by Henry Bagley 1652; and the tenor with a Latin inscription: 'Vox d[omi]ni ihū xp[ist]i vox exultacionis et salutis.' (fn. 37) There is a team ringers drawn mainly from village residents.

In the churchyard north of the chancel is the base of a medieval cross, of square plan with double-chamfered faces and mounted on two steps of square plan. The churchyard is maintained to a high standard by members of a village family and is widely recognised as the best kept in the Diocese.

Services in Butlers Marston

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

The next four services in Butlers Marston are listed below. To see the full calendar of services in Butlers Marston, click here.