The church, dedicated to St Peter, was situated in the NE corner of the now disused churchyard of Flawford. The earliest reference to it was temp Henry I. It was partly demolished in 1773 and completely demolished in 1779. (1)

Excavations from 1968 to 1971 by the Ruddington and District Local History Society have shown that a Saxon church was standing on the site in 1066 "beneath which was a tesselated pavement belonging to a 2nd-3rd century Roman House". (The evidence to support this statement would seem to be fragments of RB pottery and tesserae in soil from the foundation trenches of the church). The church was developed in the Norman period and 13th-14th centuries. (3-5)

An excavation took place at St Peter's churchyard, Flawford between 1968 and 1978. The church itself was demolished in 1773. Flint debris and tools give evidence of a possible Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age flint knapping site. Roman occupation from the 1st to the 4th century is represented by post-holes, pits, gullies and stone wall foundations suggesting three phases of building. Of note is a tessellated floor made of Samian tesserae associated with the second phase of building.
The earliest phases of the church itself were pre-conquest. There was no trace of a timber structure. The original stone building was built within the Ro structure and on the same alignment. There were subsequent W extensions of the nave, one possibly being a tower or narthex, and a square addition to the chancel.
During the Med period and later the church underwent several additions and extensions. Initially, an extension to the W end, on very deep and thick foundations, suggests the construction of a tower. Subsequently, the Saxon chancel and additions were demolished and a large chancel the width of the nave was constructed. N-S walls were constructed outside the narthex, increasing its width to that of the nave and chancel. A S aisle, dedicated to St Andrew and used as a chantry building, can be dated to 1280 by documentary evidence. A 3 roomed, free standing building … was constucted N of the church. While it was in existence, a N aisle was added to the church. Part of the outer wall of the N aisle was later demolished along with the free standing building. A new section of wall with 2 substantial butresses was then constructed outside the E half of the original N wall. A small extension was later built on the W end of the N aisle.
Finds from the excavation include Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age flint, Roman pottery and metalwork, late 3rd and early 4th century coins, a Saxon coin of Burged Rex, a 12th century stone coffin and coffin lids, a 13th century coffin chalice and patten, coins of Edward I, Edward III and Richard II, Medieval and Post-Medieval pottery, and two Nuremburg jettons. (2)

In 1459 Wm Babaington founded a college of Chantry priests at Flawford and Chilwell, which continued until the end of the C15. From that time onward Flawford Church was neglected and used only for burials. (11)

This college apparently formed a unit of the original St Peter's Church. (12) (See MNT29066 for secular college)

Annual excavations conducted by the local Society recorded exposed foundations are visible some 0.5m-2m beneath the present ground level. (12)

Excavations continue and further foundations are being found. The church was built within, and on the same alignment as a Romano-British villa (6)

The earliest reference to the name is from a lost document of c. 1150 quoted by Thoroton in 1677, but the first existing documentary reference to the church is from 1280 when the south aisle was added at the instigation of the Bishop of Dunblane. The site also may have been associated with the chantry priests of the College of Ruddington established at Flawford in 1456 and dissolved about 1550. Foundations of the first building recognisable as a church on this site consisted of cobbles and stone rubble……Broken floor slabs indicated the possible level of the floor. Subsequently several alterations were made to this building. (13)

The E Med date suggested in (2) appears to be largely unsubstantiated and is not repeated in (13). (14)

See also L7998 - Preh finds, L7999 - Ro site, L8000 - E Med finds, L8001 - Med finds, L8002- P Med finds, L807 - nearby finds.

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

(8), Parish File

OS, 1955, 6in 1955 (Map). SNT1069.

OS, 1972, 1:10000 1972 (Map). SNT994.

Whitwell JB, 1982, The Coritani: Some Aspects of the Iron Age Tribe and the Roman Civitas (BAR 99), p. 290, 296 (Published document). SNT1421.

Eleanor Scott, 1993, A Gazetteer of Roman Villas in Britain, p 155 (Published document). SNT6105.

Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.

<1> Godfrey JT, 1887, Churches of Nottinghamshire - Hundred of Rushcliffe, pp 76, 92 (Published document). SNT715.

<2> EMAB eds, 1978, East Midlands Archaeological Bulletin, p 46 (Published document). SNT163.

<3> Society for Med Arch, 1968, Med Arch, pp 175-7 (Published document). SNT239.

<4> Society for Med Arch, 1969, Med Arch, p 251 (Published document). SNT240.

<5> Society for Med Arch, 1972, Med Arch, p 178 (Published document). SNT241.

<6> Society for Med Arch, 1974, Med Arch, p 183 (Published document). SNT242.

<7> Society for Med Arch, 1978, Med Arch, pp 166-7 (Published document). SNT244.

<8> RLHS, 1973, The Church of St Peter (Published document). SNT1203.

<9> Knowles D and Hadcock N, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses, p 339 (Published document). SNT869.

<10> VCH, 1910, Notts, pp 149-50 (Published document). SNT1384.

<11> James HM, 1968, Ruddington Guide, p 13 (Published document). SNT830.

<12> Colquhoun FD, 1975, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT583.

<13> Thoroton Society, 1994, TTS, p 134-136 (Serial). SNT1474.

<14> Newsome SE, 2000, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1452.