The parish of St Peter and St Paul, situated at the bottom of Church Street, is the oldest Church in Mansfield, parts of which date back to Saxon times. St Peter's Church is a fine example of Norman church architecture; it is mentioned in the Domesday Book written in 1086 in the reign of William II. Little remains of the early Saxon church built of timber and wattle, only the lower brickwork on the east of the tower can be seen as Saxon workmanship. The Normans, however, were great church builders and they built to last. They put up the great tower at the West end and it still stands today. From 1130 they began to rebuild the church in their own style. You can still see fragments of their chevron ornament in the chapel on the south side. This Norman church consisted of a Chancel, Nave and Tower in the same position as they stand today. By 1420 the rebuilding of the church was completed.
