"The church of ST. PETER consists of chancel 30 ft. by 14 ft. 6 in., with north aisle or chapel its full length, nave of three bays 40 ft. by 15 ft., north aisle 13 ft. wide, south porch, and west tower 8 ft. square, all these measurements being internal. The width across nave and aisle is 29 ft. The chapel or chancel aisle is separated from that of the nave by an arch, but as it now exists is of the same build, and both are under one continuous gabled roof. The chapel is of equal size to the chancel, and as originally built may have been set apart for the canons of the priory. The chancel and nave are under separate roofs, with intervening gable, the roof of the chancel being slightly the higher. There is no clearstory. All the roofs are eaved and covered with Colleyweston slates. Internally the walls are plastered and the floors flagged. There was a restoration in 1880.
The original building was probably erected in the first half of the 12th century and would consist of a small square-ended chancel and an aisleless nave covering the area of the present one. About 1190– 1200, a north aisle was thrown out and the existing arcade of three semicircular arches inserted. The arches are of a single chamfered order with hoodmoulds, and spring from cylindrical piers and halfround responds, with circular moulded bases and carved capitals with square abaci. The capitals have heavy volutes at the angles, the spaces between which on the piers have stiff-leaf ornament, and on the west respond a plain indented pattern. The capital of the east respond is badly mutilated and the abacus has a hollow chamfer and bevelled angles. The south doorway is apparently contemporary with the arcades and has a pointed arch of two orders, the inner with a round edge-moulding, continued down the jambs below a restored impost which is supported at the ends by shafts with moulded bases. The outer order, which consists of a double cheveron forming a lozenge pattern on both wall and soffit plane, sits on the walls beyond the shafts, and the label is an enriched cable moulding.
The tower was added in the 13th century, and is of three receding stages, without buttresses or vice. It is built of rubble, with a lancet window on the west side of the lower stage and another in the middle stage facing south. The bell-chamber windows consist of two plain lancet lights divided by a mullion, set within a pointed inclosing arch springing from moulded imposts on slender jamb-shafts with foliated capitals and moulded bases. The spandrels are blank. A corbel table of notch-heads supports the later battlemented parapet. The arch to the nave is a pointed one of three chamfered orders, springing from hollow impost mouldings which, in the outer order, form the upper member of the plain bell capitals of angle shafts.
The further development of the plan before the end of the 16th century is uncertain, as the extensive reconstruction then carried out obliterated nearly all the old work, a late 14thcentury square-headed window of four lights alone remaining in the south wall of the nave. It is, however, reasonable to assume that the nave aisle was originally of less width than now and that the chancel aisle, or chapel, whenever added, was from the first its present size. No record remains of the architectural character of the east end of the church before the rebuilding of the chancel and its aisle in their present form in 1579. The whole of the nave aisle was rebuilt at the same time or immediately after. The porch also is an addition or rebuilding of this period: it has a round arch and coped gable.
All this work, with the exception of the porch, is faced with ashlar, and the windows are of one type— square-headed, with plain rounded lights, returned labels and moulded jambs. The ashlar facing and chamfered plinth are extended along the lower part of the south wall of the nave for about 12 ft. west of its junction with the chancel, and two three-light windows in the same wall, one on each side of the porch, were inserted at this time. The east wall of the chapel is flush with that of the chancel, with a buttress of three stages at the junction, the east end of the church thus consisting of two approximately equal gables. The chancel has a four-light east window and two windows of three lights on the south side. The chapel has also a four-light east window, but its north wall is blank. The dividing arcade is of two semicircular ashlar arches of Renaissance character on a square pier and responds with bevelled angles, moulded capitals and chamfered bases: there is a short length of wall at each end. The chancel arch and the arch between the chapel and nave aisle are of similar design. The nave aisle is lighted by two three-light windows in the north wall, and one of two lights at the west end; there is also a four-centred north doorway, now blocked. The chancel has a modern curved rafter roof, and there are modern flat-pitched boarded ceilings to the nave and aisles.
There is a stone bench against the west wall of the nave aisle, extended along the north wall as far as the doorway. The font is of late 12th-century date, and consists of a rectangular bowl with arcaded sides in high relief, the round arches resting on circular shafts with moulded bases and volute capitals. The pyramidal oak cover is of late 16th or early 17th century date.
The late Elizabethan oak fittings are of more than usual interest. There is a good oak screen in the eastern arch of the chancel arcade, with two tiers of solid panels and turned balusters at the top, and at the west end of the chancel two high-backed square pews, one on each side, with fluted panelling, door with good hinges, and open balustraded or pierced tops, the west sides of which form a chancel screen. Attached to these pews are two short seats facing east, with fluted back panelling, and under one of the windows in the south wall a pew with good strapwork panelling. In the nave and aisle are eleven square oak pews with long fluted wall panels, doors, and turned knobs, and below the tower arch a screen with two tiers of solid panelling and balustraded top.
The polished oak pulpit and turned altar rails are perhaps a century later in date: the pulpit has a canopy with dentilled cornice and ball pendants. In the chapel is a dug-out oak chest.
Against the north wall of the chapel is a canopied Renaissance marble monument, with recumbent effigy, to Charles Noel, second son of Sir Andrew Noel, who died in 1619, aged 28. The figure is in plate armour and above the cornice is a large circular strapwork panel with the arms and crest of Noel. On the wall behind the figure is a Latin inscription, and on the pedestal a rhyming English inscription on two panels. The colours on the monument are still good.
On the same wall is a memorial to three men of the parish who died in the Great War, 1914–18. There are floor slabs in the chapel to Endymion Cannynge (d. 1683), and to Henry Rawlins (d. 1742), 'who was buried by his fifth wife.'
There are four bells, the first by Edward Arnold of St. Neots, 1780; the second by Tobie Norris of Stamford, 1610; the third dated 1648, and the tenor by R. Taylor of St. Neots, 1811.
The plate consists of a cup and cover paten of 1629–30, both inscribed 'Brooke church.' There are also a pewter plate and flagon.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1576–1630, marriages 1582–1630, burials 1574–1630; (ii) all entries 1632–1683; (iii) baptisms 1685–1786, marriages 1687–1779, burials 1685–1766; (iv) baptisms 1786–1812, burials 1787–1812."
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