Church of St Peter and St Paul, Uppingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Peter and St Paul, Uppingham |
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Church of St Peter and St Paul, Uppingham: glowing in the early morning winter sun, the church is seen from the southeast corner of the churchyard
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Website | www.uppinghamchurch.co.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter and St Paul |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Uppingham |
| Diocese | Peterborough |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Uppingham is an important Church of England parish church located in Uppingham, Rutland. It belongs to the Diocese of Peterborough. This historic building has been a place of worship for many years.
Contents
Discovering Uppingham Church's History
This church is a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very special historic building that needs to be protected. Most of the church was built in the 1300s. It was later given a big makeover in 1861 by an architect named Henry Parsons.
What the Church Looks Like
The church has several main parts. It has a tall tower at the west end. There's also a main area called the nave, with side sections called north and south aisles. Above the nave, there's a row of windows called a clerestory.
The church also has a chancel, which is the part near the altar. There's a north chapel, an organ room, and a vestry. You can enter through either the north or south porches.
Details of the Church's Design
The tower has three levels and strong corner supports. It has a tall, pointed spire with three rows of small windows called lucarnes. The nave, the main part where people sit, has four sections. It was made one section longer during the 1861 restoration.
The north aisle was built in a style called Decorated, which was popular in the 1300s. The south aisle is in a style called Perpendicular, which came a bit later. Inside, you can still see old wall paintings on the south arcade. These paintings show red flowers and swirling patterns.
Changes Over Time
The chancel was rebuilt in 1861. During this work, black marble columns were added to the north chapel, also known as the Lady Chapel, and the organ room. When they were rebuilding, workers found some old stone carvings from the 1100s. Two of these carvings are now built into the wall near the north door. They also found a coffin lid from the 1200s!
The church's font, which is used for baptisms, was added in 1863. It was designed by a famous architect named George Edmund Street.
Past Rectors of Uppingham Church
A rector is a priest who is in charge of a church parish. Here are some of the people who have served as rectors at Uppingham Church over the years:
- Edmund Bonner 1528–1541
- Edward Martin 1631–1637
- Jeremy Taylor 1638–1643
- Edward Jones 1786–1814
- George Hutchinson 1815–1817
- John Giles Dimock 1817–1858
- William Wales 1859–1879
- C. A. Yate 1879–1880
- Prideaux Lightfoot 1880–1906
- Edward Moore (Archdeacon of Oakham) 1907–1920
- John Ivan Willett 1982–1999
- Stephen Evans 2000–2010
- Rachel Watts 2011–current
The Church Bells
The church tower has a set of eight bells. These bells are rung together to make music. Here's when they were made and by whom:
- Treble (the smallest bell) 1773 by Pack and Chapman of London
- Second bell 1773 by Pack and Chapman of London
- Third bell 1772 by Pack and Chapman of London
- Fourth bell 1804 by Robert Taylor of St Neots
- Fifth bell 1895 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
- Sixth bell 1772 by Pack and Chapman of London
- Seventh bell 1772 by Pack and Chapman of London
- Tenor (the largest bell) 1772 by Pack and Chapman of London
The Church Organ
The beautiful wooden case around the organ was brought to Uppingham from St Mary's Church, Nottingham in 1777. It was made in 1742 by Thomas Swarbrick.
The organ itself was built by Harrison and Harrison in 1894. It was moved and installed in Uppingham Church in 2006 by Peter Collins. Before coming to Uppingham, this organ was used at All Saints' Church in Eppleton, County Durham. You can find more technical details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
