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)
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. (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)
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

<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.