By the 1860s, the church walls were bulging, the roofs decaying, and the window tracery was in bad condition, that of the 13th-century east window having been replaced with wood. The south side of the chancel had already been buttressed, but the north vestry, which had also supported it, had collapsed, as had part of the south transept. By 1873 the tower and transepts had been repaired but the chancel was still very dilapidated. In 1875 it had to be partitioned off and it remained unusable until 1877 when Peterhouse College, who had been granted the church during the medieval period, employed Sir George Gilbert Scott to restore it and to rebuild the porch and vestry. However, this work is not evident in his office ledger where fees of £97 are noted for a survey and report in 1877.