St Peter's Church, Ealing facts for kids
St Peter's Church, Ealing is an Anglican church located on Mount Park Road in North Ealing, London. It is part of the Diocese of London. The church is known for its special mix of Arts & Crafts and late-Victorian Gothic styles. It is considered one of the most important buildings in Ealing and has a Grade II* listing, which means it's a very important historic building. Besides Sunday services, the church and its hall are busy places for many community activities and events.
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History of St Peter's Church
St Peter's was first planned as a "mission church" for Christ the Saviour Church in Ealing. This means it was built to help serve the growing number of people in the area. The leader of Christ the Saviour Church helped raise money for four new churches, including St Peter's.
The land for the church was given by John Clark Record. Before the current building, a temporary iron church stood on the spot for 10 years. The new St Peter's Church was built between 1892 and 1893. It was needed because North Ealing was growing quickly. The old iron church was named after St Andrew, and the new one was almost given the same name. However, when another church started building nearby in 1889, they decided to change the name to St Peter to avoid any arguments.
Designing the Church Building
The church was designed by John Dando Sedding, a famous architect. But Sedding passed away before the church was finished. So, his student and friend, Henry Wilson, took over the project.
The first stone of the church was laid in 1893 by Princess Helena, who was Queen Victoria's third daughter. The church was officially opened the same year by Frederick Temple, who was the Bishop of London and later became the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Henry Wilson designed the beautiful brass panels on the inside of the main doors. These panels have flowing patterns. Wilson also added a bronze angel statue, but this statue is no longer there.
The design of St Peter's was praised by The Builder magazine. They called it "a piece of real originality," meaning it was very unique and not just a copy of older styles.
Building Over Time
The church continued to grow and change in the early 1900s.
- In 1911, two new doorways were added at the west end.
- In 1913, the Lady Chapel was built on the south side of the church.
- A tall tower that Sedding had planned for the north side was never built.
The front of the church, called the west front, is very special. It has two small towers on either side of a very large window. This window is unusual because of its size and detailed patterns. The outside of the church also has a long, steep roof with small towers connected by arches.
Inside, the church feels very bright and open. This is because it has a large main area, called the nave, with tall arches and clear glass in the windows. Many of the planned decorations were never finished, which adds to its simple, spacious feel.
Leonard Shuffrey, an architect and designer, was a member of the church for many years until he passed away in 1926. He helped make the church more beautiful. Shuffrey designed the font, which is a basin used for baptisms. He also designed the decoration for the main altar table. His son, Gilbert Shuffrey, died in a battle during World War I and is remembered in the Lady Chapel and on the Ealing Town Memorial.
Even though stained glass windows were planned for the whole church, only six were ever completed. These were designed by Walter Towers of Kempe and Co, a famous company known for its beautiful stained glass.
The Lady Chapel and War Memorial
The Lady Chapel was built in 1913. Between 1921 and 1928, it was decorated as a special memorial for soldiers who died in World War I. This project was led by the Vicar, Joseph Bertram Kite, and his wife. They wanted to remember their son, Ralph Bertram Kite, who died fighting in France, and all the others who lost their lives.
- In 1921, an oak screen by Cecil Greenwood Hare and a brass plaque were added.
- The altar rails were given by Isabella Holmes, a social campaigner, and her husband Basil. They gave them in memory of their son, Wilfred Holmes.
Seven years later, the chapel's decoration was finished with a painted ceiling and a new screen between the chapel and the main church. The work also included beautiful wall paintings of angels, called the Annunciation angels, above the altar in the Lady Chapel. These were painted by Henry Charles Brewer. He painted them on canvas in his studio and they are his only known church paintings. The face of the Angel Gabriel in the painting is thought to be based on his brother, James Alphege Brewer. The chapel was cleaned and repaired in 2022.
In the south aisle of the church, there is a painting called 'Christ before Pilate' by Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne. He was an artist who lived in the area. His wife gave the painting to the church after he passed away in 1921.
Community Activities
St Peter's Church holds services on Sunday mornings and during the week. They also have special services for Easter and Christmas. The church is a busy place for the local community.
- It has a local walking group.
- It hosts the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter, which helps people without homes.
- It holds organ concerts.
- There's an Amnesty International letter writing group.
- The church has a book club, a junior church for kids, and a Sunday choir.
- Local schools use the church for concerts and carol services.
Church Leaders (Vicars)
Here are some of the people who have led St Peter's Church as Vicars:
- 1894 - 1909: William Petty
- 1909 - 1916: Henry Austin Thompson (He later died in 1941 during a war attack while leading another church.)
- 1916 - 1939: Joseph Bertram Kite (He used to be a Dean in Tasmania before coming to St Peter's.)
- 1939 - 1946: Frank Challoner Pond
- 1946 - 1953: George Maurice Bosworth
- 1953 - 1963: Henry Cooper
- 1963 - 1971: Derek Tyrie
- 1972 - 1974: John David Wheeler
- 1974 - 1981: Charles Gilbert Francis Dare
- 1982 - 1991: Richard Hayes
- 1991 - 2000: William Taylor (He later became a Dean at a big cathedral and now leads another church.)
- 2000 - 2011: Mark Powell (He is now a Canon Steward at Windsor Castle.)
- 2012–present: David Neno
Other important clergy who worked at St Peter's:
- Morris Maddocks was a curate (a type of assistant priest) in the 1950s. He later became a Bishop.
- Michael Tavinor, who was a Dean at Hereford Cathedral until 2021, was also a curate at St Peter's from 1982 to 1985.
Famous Connections
Many notable people have had connections to St Peter's Church:
- Kenneth Allsop, a British broadcaster and writer, got married here in March 1942.
- The funeral of Henry Austin Dobson, a poet, was held at St Peter's on September 6, 1921.
- General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley, a famous British soldier and historian, was married here on July 7, 1945.
- Emmanuel Phillips Fox, an Australian artist, married Ethel Carrick at St Peter's on May 9, 1905.
- Harry George Hawker, an Australian aviation pioneer, married Muriel Alice Peaty at St Peter's on November 14, 1917.
- Isabella Holmes was a well-known social reformer. The Lady Chapel altar rails were given by her and her husband Basil in memory of their son Wilfred. Isabella Holmes was also related to Ramsay Macdonald, who was a Prime Minister.
- Sir Stephen Holmes, Isabella Holmes's son, became a High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Australia.
- Paul Shuffrey, son of the architect Leonard Shuffrey, attended St Peter's as a child. He later became an editor for important church publications.
