St Peter and St Paul Church - St Peter's Way, Harlington, London, UK - Medieval Churches on Waymarking.com

The church's website tells us:

"Like so many ecclesiastical buildings, Harlington church represents the architectural styles of many centuries.  Essentially, however, it is a medieval structure whose earliest part, the Nave, dates from the Twelfth century.  The Chancel was built in the Fourteenth and Sixteenth centuries respectively.  The most recent additions are the North Aisle (1880) and the new Choir Vestry (1966). Periodically the flint walls and stonework dressings have been sympathetically restored, but until 1880 they were obstructed by a coat of plaster.  The roof which was completely retiled in 1974 is unusual in that the Chancel is higher than the Nave.

Until the late Nineteenth century the church consisted simply of a Tower, Nave and Chancel, and it is largely from an extensive restoration and enlargement carried out in 1880 that it derives its present appearance; a photograph of 1872 shows a cluttered interior with cumbersome box pews.  At that time the trussed rafters of the roof were completely concealed by plaster; a gallery, installed in 1842, hid much of the noble perpendicular Western Arch, while the Chancel Arch was an ugly timber structure.  The workmanship of the present arch is severe but well proportioned and echoes that of the arcade linking the Nave with the North Aisle.

Considered to be the finest in Middlesex, The twelfth century Norman South Doorway, provides an elaborately carved entrance to the Church. Although age has impaired its definition, it is possible to observe that effective use of alternating coloured stone has been made. From twin, rounded pillars with Romanesque capitals, spring the first two carved elements of the arch. The innermost has a heavily incised 'zigzag', or chevron motif. The second, and most intriguing, is a series of cat's heads with lolling tongues. The inclusion of either birds (known as Beakheads) or animals, as a moulding enrichment, was common in decorative Norman carving. Stone was scarce in Middlesex, indicating that time, money and effort were lavished on this feature of the Church. However, in the execution of each cat's head, the masons may have had to make the best of the available stone blocks, because the heads vary in size quite noticeably."

The church is Grade I listed with the entry at the Historic England website telling us:

"Parish church. C12 nave and south doorway, C14 chancel, late C15 tower. Restored by J Oldrid Scott, 1878-80 when the north aisle was added.

Rubble and flint walls with stone dressings; early C16 wooden south porch. South doorway: limestone, round arch of four orders. Narrow outer door with circular motifs above battlement mouldings, third order of cat's head mouldings, second order of chevron mouldings, innermost voussoirs plain. Enriched jambs with decorated capitals; nook-shafts replaced in C19. Wooden porch early C16, with open moulded uprights and pitched tiled roof possibly reused.

Nave: C12 south wall with later window openings; northern nave aisle, with arcade of three-pointed arch openings on octagonal piers added by J.O Scott. Open timber king post roof restored 1878-80. Baroque monument on south wall to Lord Ossulton (d.l1686) and wives. War memorial, 1920 by Charles Oldrid Scott.

Chancel: added c1340. Chancel arch by J Oldrid Scott. Open king post roof. Late C19 pews, sanctuary floor of encaustic tiles, C16 Easter sepulchre formerly combined with monument to Gregory Lovell (1545), whose brass is repositioned nearby. In Gothic niches flanking the altar are recumbent effigies to Count Jerome de Salis (d.1836) by Richard Lucas and to Countess Henrietta de Salis (d.1856) by William Theed. Gothic monument William de Salis (d.1856) by Inigo Thomas. East window by C.E Kempe, 1873, three lights depicting the Crucifixion. Windows in south aisle by Willement depicting the Ascension, 1845, and by A L Moore, 1889, depicting Christ in Majesty.

North Aisle: early C16 doorway to vestry moved to present position in 1878-80 restoration. Monument by Boehm to Lieutenant-general Rudolph de Salis (d.1880) on east wall. West Tower houses baptistery with C12 font of Purbeck marble: square bowl with arcading to sides carried on shaft with colonnettes at corners. Stained glass window of the Presentation in the Temple by Kempe, 1903.

The church has a remarkably rural setting supplied by its churchyard, which is celebrated for its yew trees and tombs."