St Mary and St Peter's Church, Wennington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary and St Peter, Wennington |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholicism |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Havering |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of West Ham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Chelmsford |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
St Mary and St Peter's Church is a special old church in Wennington, a village in London. It's part of the Church of England. This church is so important that it's officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it has a lot of history and special architecture.
Contents
A Look Back at the Church's History
Who Looked After the Church?
For a very long time, churches like St Mary and St Peter's were looked after by different groups or people. In the early 1100s, Westminster Abbey (a famous church in London) was in charge of Wennington Church. It's thought that a couple named Ætsere the Swarthy and Ælfgyth might have given the church to the Abbey even before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Later, in 1541, the right to choose the church's priest moved from Westminster Abbey to a new, short-lived church area called the Diocese of Westminster. After that, the Bishop of London took over until 1852. Then, the Bishop of Peterborough became responsible. By 1867, the Crown (the King or Queen) took charge, and finally, in 1958, the Martyrs' Memorial Trust became responsible for the church.
How the Church Changed Over Time
The church has been changed and fixed up many times throughout its history. Around the year 1600, part of the church called the south aisle was taken down. In the early 1700s, a lot of repairs were done because the church was getting old.
By 1874, the church needed a lot of work again. So, in 1885 and 1886, it was restored and made bigger. This was important because more people were moving to Wennington. During these changes, the south aisle was rebuilt, new windows were added to the chancel (the area near the altar), and a special room for the organ was built. The bottom part of the west tower was turned into a vestry (a room where priests get ready), and an old gallery inside the church was removed. A new entrance porch was added in 1900.
The Church Today
On July 19, 2022, a large wildfire swept through Wennington village. Many buildings were destroyed, but luckily, St Mary and St Peter's Church survived! The fire burned through the churchyard, but the church itself was not badly damaged.
Church Architecture and Design
The church building you see today is very old, with parts from the medieval period (the Middle Ages).
- There's a doorway from the 1100s that was moved and is now in the vestry.
- The font (a basin used for baptisms), a large chest, and parts of the chancel and nave are from the early 1200s.
- The north aisle was built in the early 1300s.
- The tall west tower was added in the late 1300s.
- The arch leading to the chancel and the roof of the nave were both rebuilt in the late 1400s or early 1500s.
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Images for kids
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View of the church on the day of the wildfire. The fire burned through the graveyard but did not significantly damage the church
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