The church is recorded at the time of Domesday. The nave shows no features earlier than the C14. West tower built c.1400; chancel rebuilt 1859 on older foundations. Several fragments of Norman stone mouldings can be seen in situations of reuse.<1> Early C16 brick buttresses. C14 window in north wall with two trefoiled ogee lights. Early C15 north doorway with richly moulded and shafted jambs. C16 clerestory in red brick with two window range in south wall, extensively restored, and a three window range in the north wall. The C16 upper and lower doorways to the rood loft remain with segmental heads. C14 south doorway. The late C14 tower is of four stages with a staircase tower on the north side. The extensively restored south porch contains C16 red brick. Nave roof of six bays with hammerbeam trusses, on wall posts with moulded capitals and bases.<2> Walls of mixed rubble except for the clerestorey and part of the porch which are brick; dressings are of limestone. The nave was probably built in the C12, the west tower added c.1400 and the south porch rebuilt in the C15. Early in the C16 the clerestorey was added and the walls below strengthened with buttresses. The porch incorporates in the west wall an early C16 buttress. The roof of the nave is early C16, partly restored. The C15 roof of the south porch has a central king-post truss and a moulded tie-beam at the base of the south gable. Fittings include two doors of c.1400 in doorways to turret with chamfered fillets and nail studded battens; a C12 octagonal bowl font of Purbeck Marble - much restored or recut and a C15 stoup in the south porch.<3> Bettley & Pevsner give a late C12 or C13 date for the font.<4> Other ref.<5>

Site Assessment = There "is a reasonable archaeological potential at Peldon since the Saxon and Norman churches require elucidation." The walls are partly rendered and partly pointed; both finishes need repair. External ground level is high and there is much rubbish around the walls causing internal dampness; the site must be well drained or the building would be a good deal damper. There is a threat to install land drains and to reorder the sanctuary. Internal dressings are all limewashed. There is a fine hammerbeam roof. Burial continues near the church and a number of fairly recent graves may have encroached upon the site of the earlier chancel which is archaeologically of interest, since it is virtually certain to project beyond the present.

Three digital photographs in Colchester HER taken of the church in July 2016.<6>