Building record 0084600000 - IVER, ST. PETER'S CHURCH

Grade I. C11/C15, restored 1848; north vestry added 1896-8. C12 font; C13 sedilia and piscina. RCHM I, pp219-221; VCH III, pp291-293 (B13).
BUILT OF FLINT WITH SOME PUDDINGSTONE. E ANGLES OF NAVE HAVE QUOINS OF ROMAN BRICK, & THESE & N WALL WITH PART OF WINDOW, ARE SAXON. W TOWER & N AISLE C12 & IN C13 ALTERATIONS INCLUDED REBUILDING OF CHANCEL & TOWER AND ADDITION OF S AISLE (B1-12).
During the church's quinquennial inspection, insect infestation was noted and required the removal of pews and flooring in the northern half fo the nave permitting a view of the sub floor levels. It was noted that the Norman arches were inserted into the Saxon wall, and the original Saxon foundations were seen to consist of flint rubble with plentiful orangey mortar with flint gravel (B14).
Upper 2 courses of exterior west wall of a brick burial vault exposed in test pit during watching brief carried out by Oxford Archaeology in October 2001. The brickwork was bonded with a coarse white mortar and roughly finished. No other features were recorded (B15).
Watching brief carried out by Oxford Archaeology in May 2005 and January 2006 during 0.35m ground reduction for extension on north side of church, identified the brick 'vault' to be base of piers supporting former oil tank. The foundation trench for the C12 north aisle, late C19 NE buttress and the construction cut for the late C19 basement boiler room were recorded. An E-W aligned grave cut 2m long and 0.6m wide was also observed but not excavated. Fabric recording of the north aisle east wall was carried out during intertion of a new doorway. The wall was 0.9m thick, of flint with a coarse lime mortar. See report for detail (B16).