St Peter's Church, Bournemouth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Bournemouth
50°43′14″N 1°52′32″W / 50.7205°N 1.8755°W / 50.7205; -1.8755
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
History
Status	Parish Church
Dedication	Saint Peter
Architecture
Architect(s)	G. E. Street
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1879
Specifications
Height	Spire 202 feet (62 m)
Floor area	12,658 square feet (1,176.0 m2)
Materials	Purbeck stone with Bath stone dressings
Administration
Parish	Bournemouth
Deanery	Bournemouth
Archdeaconry	Bournemouth
Diocese	Winchester
Province	Canterbury

St Peter's Church is a beautiful Church of England parish church right in the heart of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It's a very important building, listed as Grade I, and was finished in 1879. It was designed by George Edmund Street and is known as the original "mother church" of Bournemouth.

The church has amazing artwork and designs by famous Gothic Revival artists and architects like Street, George Frederick Bodley, Ninian Comper, Arthur Blomfield, and Edward Burne-Jones. You can see beautiful stained-glass windows and wall paintings by Clayton and Bell. The area around the altar, called the chancel, is thought to be one of the most richly decorated Gothic Revival interiors in England. Its tall spire, which is about 62 meters (202 feet) high, is a well-known landmark in the town center.

Did you know that Mary Shelley, who wrote the famous book Frankenstein, is buried here? People also believe that the heart of her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, is buried with her.

History of St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church was built over 24 years, starting in 1855. The first vicar of Bournemouth, Reverend Alexander Morden Bennett, wanted a grander church to replace an older one. George Edmund Street was chosen to design this new, beautiful church. It was built between 1854 and 1879 on the foundations of the church that stood there before. G. E. Street also designed the famous Royal Courts of Justice in London. The church's tall tower and spire are easy to spot from all over the town center. Inside, you'll find unique paintings, stunning stained glass, and alabaster decorations. The church covers an area of almost 1200 square meters.

The church was built in different stages because it was too expensive to build all at once. Money was raised by people donating to the project. The north aisle (a side section) was built first in 1855, next to the old building. Then, in 1859, a clerestory (a high section with windows) and a hammerbeam roof (a special type of wooden roof) were added over the old building, which was then removed.

Between 1863 and 1864, the chancel (the area around the altar), eastern transepts (the parts that stick out like arms of a cross), and vestries (rooms for clergy) were built. In 1869–1870, the 35-meter (116-foot) high tower was added. The tower wasn't connected to the main part of the church (the nave) at first. This allowed a narthex (an entrance hall) and western transepts to be added in 1874. Finally, in 1879, the 26-meter (86-foot) high spire was added to the tower, completing Street's original plan.

In 1914, a new part was added to the church's north-east side. This included a vestry, an office, and a song school (a place for choir practice). It also had a basement lounge with a kitchen, toilets, and a boiler room.

In 1926, the Chapel of the Resurrection was built in the churchyard. It was designed by Ninian Comper and was meant to be a chapel for funerals. It was dedicated as a memorial to those who died in World War I. This chapel was updated in 2014, with a kitchen, toilet, and heating added.

St Peter's Church Today

St Peter's Church is still an active parish church today. It belongs to the Diocese of Winchester and follows a Liberal Catholic style within the Church of England. It is the original parish church for Bournemouth and serves the town center.

The church is an important historical place in the town, with many notable people buried there. It's also a community space where people can visit, walk around, and relax. There's a community cafe called Parry's, open Wednesday to Friday, and the church often hosts free music and performances.

In 2020, a project called "Grounds Reimagined" started to clear the nearly 4-acre woodland churchyard, which had been neglected for years. This project completely changed the churchyard, thanks to grants from local councils and groups like the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Now, there's a wildlife trail and a heritage trail, highlighting important graves for visitors. This project brought together church members, other groups, and local residents during the summer of the Covid restrictions and beyond.

In 2023, the church's tower and spire had major stone repairs. This work was partly funded by the National Churches Trust and the Wolfson Foundation, as part of the church's ongoing development plan.

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  The chancel

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  The Keble Chapel

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  The Chapel of the Resurrection

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  The town centre from the tower

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  The tower and spire

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  The north aisle

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  The nave roof and west transepts

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  The baptistry and south aisle

Church Leaders (Clergy)

Since February 2023, the church has been looking for a new Rector.

Vicars of St Peter's Church

Past Vicars and Rectors

• 1845 – Alexander Morden Bennett (the first vicar)
• 1880 – Vincent William Ryan (who used to be a Bishop)
• 1936 – Hedley Robert Burrows (who later became a Dean)
• 1967 – Colin Clement Walter James (who later became a Bishop)
• 1996 – James John Richardson (who received an award for his work)
• 2009 – Ian Andrew Terry
• 2023 – Currently looking for a new Rector

Music at St Peter's

Choirs

Choir History

The choristers singing during a filming session in 2017

St Peter's has always had a strong tradition of choral music, which is a key part of its church services. In 1865, after the chancel was finished, a "Choir Home" was set up. Eight of the 18 choristers (choir boys) lived there, while the other ten lived in town. All the choristers went to St Peter's School, which opened in 1850 next to the church. The choir sang every day and four times on Sundays.

As Bournemouth grew, there was no longer a need for the Choir Home, so it closed in 1924. St Peter's School also closed in 1935. The choir continued to grow as a traditional choir of men and boys throughout the 20th century. In 2009, a girls' section was added to the choir.

The girls' choir in 2023

Choir Today

The song school

Today, the choir includes boy choristers, girl choristers, and adult singers. Together, they provide music for two services every Sunday and on special church holidays during school term-time. The boys and girls usually sing separately but join together for big events like Christmas and Easter. The choir has performed in many British cathedrals and major churches and sometimes makes recordings.

The choir practices in the song school, a special room built in 1914. It has a unique barrel-shaped roof, a piano, and space for music and robes. The St. Peter's Choral Foundation was started in 2021 to help support the choir's growth and activities.

Organs

The Harrison organ facade from the north transept

Early Organs (1843–1870)

The first organ at St Peter's was built in 1845 for the opening of the earlier church building. It was made by Mr. J. Duncan of Poole. As the new church was being built, this organ was moved around. It was later found to be "nearly worn out." So, a temporary second-hand organ was bought in 1865. This organ was described as "ugly-looking" and not powerful enough for the new, larger church.

The Willis Organ (1870–1914)

In 1869, a new organ was ordered from Henry Willis, a famous organ builder. This organ cost £700 and had 24 stops (different sounds) and 1292 pipes. It was placed in a special room next to the altar area. The front pipes were decorated in 1873. By 1912, this organ was also described as "nearly worn out."

The Harrison Organ (1914 to Present)

The organ console

Some of the Swell pipework in the organ

In 1913, the church started raising money for a new, much bigger organ. A contract was signed with Harrison and Harrison of Durham. This new organ has 48 stops and cost over £2700. It was built in a new room where the old vestries used to be. Many of the pipes from the old Willis organ were used in this new one.

A special case for the organ was designed by Ninian Comper, but it was too expensive to build. So, the organ remained without a fancy case.

The organ was updated in 1976, making it even larger with 54 stops. A movable control panel (console) was added at the front of the church. The original control panel was removed. The plain front of the organ was replaced with a carved wooden screen from a nearby church that had closed. The organ is now over 100 years old and needs a full update.

Organists

• 1859 – J. H. Caseley (first known organist)
• 1905 – James Chandler
• 1953 – Michael Peterson (later organist at Tewkesbury Abbey)
• 1971 – John Belcher (later organist at St Asaph Cathedral and Tewkesbury Abbey)
• 2003 – Ben Lamb (later director of music at Lichfield Cathedral)
• 2015 – Duncan Courts (current organist)

Church Bells

Three of the bells in the tower

The Sanctus bell, hung in the tower for chiming

St Peter's has the heaviest set of bells in Bournemouth. It was the first church in town to have a full set of bells. There are eight bells that can be rung in the English style of change ringing (a special way of ringing bells in patterns). There is also a smaller Sanctus bell that can be chimed by a switch inside the church.

When the tower was finished in 1870, it was planned to have bells. The church and town raised money to add six more bells to the two already there, to honor the founding priest, Morden Bennett. The bells were made by John Taylor & Co and were dedicated in 1871.

In 1936, the church decided to re-hang and re-tune the bells and add a Sanctus bell as a memorial to Alfred Daldy, a previous church leader. It was found that the bells were in poor condition. Taylor's suggested re-casting them because bell-making had improved a lot since 1871. After being re-cast by Taylor's, the bells were dedicated on November 20, 1937.

Famous People Connected to St Peter's

Blue plaque for Mary Shelley

The Shelley tomb

St Peter's Church has connections to several well-known people:

• William Ewart Gladstone, who was the British Prime Minister four times, took his last communion here in 1898.
• The composer Sir Hubert Parry was born in this area in 1848. His mother was buried in the churchyard, and Hubert was baptised in the church.
• John Keble, an important church leader, died in this area in 1866. There are two stained-glass windows of him in the church, and a special chapel, the Keble Chapel, is dedicated to his memory.
• Sir Dan Godfrey, who started the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1896, is buried here.
• Major General Richard Clement Moody, who was a Governor of the Falkland Islands and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
• Lewis Tregonwell, who founded Bournemouth, bought land here in 1810 and built a house that is now part of the Royal Exeter Hotel.
• Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, is buried here. It's believed that the heart of her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, is also buried with her. Their only surviving child, Sir Percy Shelley, 3rd Baronet, built a house nearby.
• Mary Shelley wanted to be buried with her parents, Mary Wollstonecraft, a famous writer, and William Godwin, a philosopher. Sir Percy and his wife had them moved from London to be buried at Bournemouth.
• More recently, the funeral of radio and TV presenter Ed Stewart was held in the church in 2016.