St Peter, Little Comberton, Worcestershire

I Location

Site Location: Little Comberton
National Grid Reference: SO 967 427
County: traditional: Worcestershire
now: Worcestershire
Diocese: medieval: Worcester
now: Worcester
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Peter
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: General view, exterior, from NE

Built of rubble masonry with some ashlar. 12thc. nave, later medieval S chapel, W tower and chancel. Romanesque sculpture is found in the N nave doorway, within a porch, in the W window of the N nave wall and on the piscina.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) N doorway, nave

: N doorway, tympanum

: N doorway, R impost

: N doorway, L impost

Round-headed, one order, with carved monolithic tympanum. The tympanum bears a central cross with arms of equal length, the uprights running directly into the frame, which has a chamfered inner edge. Carved on the recessed ground are eight large hemispherical projections, four on each side, each with a central drilled hole surrounded by incised spiralling lines, like whorls.

Dimensions

h. of opening	1.96 m
w. of opening	1.04 m
h. of tympanum	0.57 m
w. of tympanum	1.32 m
d. of tympanum	0.17 m

First order

Plain square jambs; imposts flush with jambs on N face, projecting slightly beneath the tympanum on E and W faces.

L impost: on the W face, angle roll decorated with two triangles meeting point-to-point with a groove on the face.

R impost: similar, but with a cable moulding on the angle roll.

2. Windows

(i) W window, N nave wall

: Nave, exterior, N wall

: Nave, exterior, N wall, window

Small round-headed light, jambs renewed but with a cable moulding on the label.

V Furnishings

3. Piscinae/Pillar Piscinae

(i) Piscina

: Pillar piscina, general view

: Pillar piscina, bowl

Square, with chamfered rim and a broad groove on the upright; below, the sides, tapering to a plain roll are decorated with chip-carved zigzag. Modern pillar and base.

Dimensions

exterior	0.265 m
square interior	0.17 m
square ext. h. of bowl	0.113 m

VII History

In 1086, Little Comberton was probably included with part of Great Comberton in the manor of Comberton, which was held by Gilbert Fitz Turold under the Abbot of Westminster's great manor of Pershore. The church is first mentioned in 1283, when the advowson was held by the lords of the manor.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Whorls are also found on the doorway of the Prior's house at Wenlock, Shropshire.

IX Bibliography

E. Keyser, A List of Norman Tympana and Lintels, London 1904, vol. 30, 10.
N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Worcestershire. Harmondsworth 1968, 16, 213.
The Victoria History of the Counties of England. Worcestershire, vol.I. London 1901, 219; vol.IV, London 1924, 61-65, 63-64.