St Peter's Church, Chester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Chester
St Peter's Church stands next to the historic Chester Cross.
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
OS grid reference	SJ 404,663
Location	Chester, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Evangelical
Website	Parish of Chester St Peter
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	28 August 1955
Architect(s)	John Douglas (restoration)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Completed	1886
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone Slate spire
Administration
Parish	Chester, St Peter
Deanery	Chester
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Peter's Church is a historic church located on Eastgate Street in the city center of Chester, England. It stands right next to the famous Chester Cross. The church is an active parish church for the Church of England.

Because of its great historical importance, it is listed as a Grade I listed building. This is the highest possible rating, given to buildings of exceptional interest.

The Long History of St Peter's

The site of St Peter's Church is very old. It was once part of the headquarters of the Roman army, called a praetorium. Some of the stones in the church's walls are from Roman times.

A legend says that a noble lady named Ethelfleda first built a church here in the year 907. The building we see today was mostly built between the 1300s and 1500s. Over the centuries, it has been changed and repaired many times.

The church tower used to have a tall, pointed spire. It was taken down and rebuilt several times. Around 1780, the spire was removed for good after being damaged by lightning. In 1886, an architect named John Douglas restored the church and added the pyramid-shaped roof that the tower has today.

Exploring the Church's Architecture

What You Can See Outside

St Peter's Church is built from a beautiful red sandstone. It has a square shape. The church's floor is on the same level as the famous Chester Rows, which are covered walkways. To get inside, you have to walk up a set of seven stone steps.

The church tower is at the west end. It rises above the roof and has a clock and openings for the bells. The top of the tower has a pattern like the top of a castle wall, which is called crenellated. It is decorated with small stone points called pinnacles.

A Look Inside the Church

A view of the church's interior.

Inside, the church feels very open. The main area, called the nave, flows into the area with the altar, called the chancel. There are four aisles, which are walkways on the sides. Galleries, or upper floors, run along the outer aisles and at the back of the church.

There are many interesting historical features inside St Peter's.

• Wall Painting: On one of the stone pillars, there is a small hollowed-out space called a niche. It used to hold a statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Around it is the best-preserved medieval wall painting in all of Cheshire.
• Stone Carvings: On the south wall, you can see three carved stone supports called corbels. They are shaped like an angel, a woman, and an old man.
• Baptismal Font: The font, where baptisms take place, is made of marble and has the date 1662 carved on it.
• Stained Glass: The colorful stained-glass windows are also special. The main east window was made in 1863 by the company Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Another window was made by Clayton and Bell, and the west window was designed by artist Trena Cox.
• Bells: The tower holds a ring of six bells. Five of them were made in 1709 by Rudhall of Gloucester, a famous bell-making family. The sixth bell was added in 1921.

See also

• Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
• Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
• List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas
• List of works by Thomas Harrison