St Peter's Church, Devizes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Devizes
St Peter's, Devizes, as seen from the Bath Road
51°21′14″N 2°00′22″W / 51.354°N 2.006°W / 51.354; -2.006
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Traditional Anglo-Catholic
History
Status	Active
Dedication	St. Peter
Consecrated	24 July 1866
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Architect(s)	William Slater and Richard Carpenter
Groundbreaking	30 June 1865
Completed	1866
Administration
Parish	Devizes
Archdeaconry	Wiltshire
Diocese	Diocese of Salisbury
Province	Province of Canterbury

St Peter's Church is a special church in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This beautiful building was built during the Victorian era, a long time ago. You can find it on Bath Road, just outside the main part of Devizes. It's one of four Anglican churches in the town and is part of the Anglican Diocese of Salisbury. The people who go to St Peter's Church are also part of a group called Devizes Churches Together.

History of St Peter's Church

Building the Church

St Peter's Church was built because Reverend Benjamin Dowding, who was the Vicar of St James's Church in Devizes, thought the town needed another church. He wanted a church closer to the Kennet and Avon Canal and the busy factories nearby.

The first stone for the church was placed on June 30, 1865, by Rev Dowding. The church was built between 1865 and 1866 by architects Slater & Carpenter. It was officially opened and made sacred on July 24, 1866, by Walter Kerr Hamilton, who was the Bishop of Salisbury. A special group called the Royal Wiltshire Militia even marched to the church for the opening ceremony!

Changes and Growth Over Time

Later, between 1884 and 1885, more parts were added to the church. These additions included the south aisle and a special room for the organ. These new parts were built by Weaver & Adye.

The first vicar, or priest, of St Peter's was Reverend Harold Grindle. Many vicars after him helped the church grow and develop its special style of worship. One important vicar was Canon Frederick Phipps, who served for 34 years. He introduced the Anglo-Catholic way of worship, which the church still follows today.

Another former vicar was Reverend Douglas Bryant. He was the priest at St Peter's for seven years and helped make the church a very spiritual place. He later became a Canon at Guildford Cathedral. His son, Mark Bryant, also became a bishop.

In recent years, St Peter's has become an active member of groups like Forward in Faith and The Society (Church of England). The church's council has also made decisions that show they do not support women becoming priests.

Inside the Church

Stations of the Cross and Icons

St Peter's Church has a beautiful set of Stations of the Cross. These are hand-carved wooden pictures that show different moments from the story of Jesus's journey to the cross. They are placed around the walls of the church.

The church also has a collection of icons. Icons are special religious paintings or images. Among them are icons of St Paul and St Peter. The icon of St Peter was a gift to the church from a former member named Estelle Holloway.

Past Priests of St Peter's

Here is a list of the priests who have served at St Peter's Church over the years:

The Church Organ

St Peter's Church has a large pipe organ. It was built in 1898 by Griffin and Stroud. This organ has two "manuals," which are like keyboards that the organist plays. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.