St Peter's Church

An anonymous booklet titled "A Visit to Sherwwood Forest", published in Mansfield in 1850 is not very complimentary about this church. Describing the exterior, the author says "The spire is ill proportioned, being evidently stunted in its growth, two hideous modern porches protrude on the South side, and with windows of every imaginable size, shape and style, some with mullions, some without, you have a 'tout ensemble' of ecclesiastical architecture now happily seldom met with". The writer is equally scathing about the interior: "The interior has once been good, having some rather pretty and well proportioned specimens of the lofty pointed arch, but alas, for the depraved taste of the last century [ie the 18th century] there is scarcely a column in the Sacred Edifice but has been rudely divested either of its well moulded capital, or some other of its fair proportions, in order to make room for a lot of galleries, or those still more unsightly luxuries called pews!". The organ is described as "tolerably well toned" and it is noted that it was purchased by subscription in 1755.