Church of St Peter and St Paul, Blockley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Peter and St Paul |
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| The Parish Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul | |
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| 52°00′45″N 1°45′42″W / 52.012468°N 1.761557°W | |
| Location | The Square, Blockley, Gloucestershire, GL56 9ES |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Saint Peter Saint Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Style | Norman |
| Years built | 1180 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Blockley with Aston Magna |
| Deanery | North Cotswold |
| Archdeaconry | Cheltenham |
| Diocese | Gloucester |
The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a special church in Blockley, Gloucestershire, England. It belongs to the Church of England and is a very old building. It's so important that it's a Grade II* listed building, which means it's protected because of its history and architecture. You might even recognize it from the TV show Father Brown, where it's used as the village's Roman Catholic church!
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
This church was built a very long time ago, around 1180. It was made in a style called Norman. The front part of the church, called the chancel, has three sections. Only one of its original narrow, pointed windows, known as lancet windows, is still the same.
Later, in the late 1200s, a two-story part was added to the north side. The top floor was a small chapel for prayers, and the bottom floor was a room for church items. Around 1310, a new window was put in the east end of the chancel. Some other windows were also made bigger in a style called Decorated Gothic.
At the end of the 1300s, a new section called the north aisle was added. It was connected to the main part of the church, the nave, by an arcade (a row of arches). In the 1400s, a large window was put in the south wall of the chancel. This window was in the Perpendicular Gothic style.
In 1630, the south porch was added. Six years later, in 1636, the upper part of the nave walls, called the clerestorey, was built. This added more windows to let in light. The bell tower was built in 1725, likely replacing an older one. A west gallery (a balcony inside the church) was put in place in 1735.
The church was repaired and updated in 1871. This process is often called a Victorian restoration. At that time, a north porch was also added. By 1854, the tower had six bells. The oldest two were made in 1638. The others were made in 1679, 1683, 1729, and 1854. Later, the number of bells was increased to eight. In 2016, people started raising money to replace the bell frame and add even more bells, making a total of ten!
The Church Today
Today, the Church of St Peter and St Paul is an active church. It's part of a group of Church of England churches in the Vale and Cotswold Edge area. The local vicar is in charge of Blockley and nearby villages like Paxford, Draycott, and Aston Magna, as well as the parish of Bourton-on-the-Hill.
This church is quite popular on TV! Besides Father Brown, it was also used for an episode of the TV series Dalziel and Pascoe called Sins of the Fathers. In Father Brown, the church is used as St Mary's Roman Catholic church. Even the vicarage (the vicar's house) is changed to look like Father Brown's home!
In 2017, the frame that holds the bells was replaced by a company called John Taylor & Co from Loughborough. All the bells were taken down and cleaned. The largest bell, called the tenor bell, was recast (melted down and reshaped). Two new smaller bells were added, and all the parts that help the bells swing were replaced.
Notable People Connected to the Church
Some interesting people have been connected to this church over the years:
- Erasmus Saunders (1670–1724) was a Welsh priest and writer. He worked as a curate and then a vicar here in the early 1700s.
- Thomas Wilson was a vicar here before he became the Dean of Worcester (from 1571 to 1586).
- Thomas Henry Morgan (1898-1957) is buried in the churchyard. He is believed to be the original Welsh composer of the famous song "We'll Keep a Welcome".
Images for kids
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The church within the village
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Church tower
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South porch
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South-east view
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