St Peter's Church, Eaton Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square |
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South-west front of St Peter's
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| Location | Eaton Square, Belgravia, London SW1 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| Website | St Peter's Eaton Square |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Peter the Apostle |
| Events | 1837 rebuilt after a fire 1987 gutted by fire again 1991 rebuilt again |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 24 February 1958 |
| Architect(s) | Henry Hakewill (1824 design) Arthur Blomfield (1875 chancel and transepts) Braithwaite Partnership (1991 rebuilding) |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Completed | 1827, 1837, 1991 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | London |
| Province | Canterbury |
St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square is a Church of England parish church located in Eaton Square, a beautiful area in Belgravia, London. It's a special building designed in the Neoclassical style. This means it looks a bit like ancient Greek or Roman temples.
The church has a grand entrance called a hexastyle portico. This means it has six tall Ionic columns across the front. There is also a clock tower. In 1991, The Times newspaper called St Peter's "one of the most beautiful churches in London." It is also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
Contents
The Church's Story: A Look Back in Time
St Peter's Church was first built between 1824 and 1827. This was when the Eaton Square area was first being developed. The inside of the church was quite simple back then. It had galleries on three sides, and the organ and choir were at the back. People at the time described it as "chaste and simple."
Fires and Rebuilding Efforts
The original church building sadly burned down. In 1837, it was rebuilt using the same plans by the original architect's son. The first building was a "Commissioners' church," which means it received money from a special fund to help build new churches. The total cost was a lot of money back then, about £22,427.
In 1875, the church was made bigger and changed inside by another architect, Sir Arthur Blomfield. He added a chancel (the area around the altar) at the east end and two transepts (parts that stick out on the sides, making the church look like a cross). He also made the inside look more "Romanesque," a style from the Middle Ages. Even though the inside changed, the outside still looked Neoclassical, matching the original design.
Changes to the Parish Area
For many years, St Peter's was known as St Peter's, Pimlico. After World War II, some nearby churches were badly damaged during the Blitz. Because of this, parts of their church areas (called parishes) were joined with St Peter's.
In 1951, a crypt under the church, where about 400 people were buried, was cleared. The remains were moved to a cemetery in Surrey. The church also had a choir school that provided singers for the choir until it closed in 1958.
The 1987 Fire and Modern Rebirth
On October 20, 1987, a terrible fire started at the church. Someone mistakenly thought it was a Roman Catholic building and set it on fire. Within hours, the church was completely burned. The next day, only the outer walls were left. The roof was gone, and most of the inside was destroyed.
The church needed to be completely rebuilt. A team of architects called the Braithwaite Partnership was chosen. They decided to create a new, simpler inside for the church. They also planned to add other important spaces within the church site. These included a home for the vicar, offices, flats for other church staff, a meeting hall, rooms for a nursery school, and a large playroom for the youth club.
Work on the new church began in 1990 and finished in 1991. The grand Georgian entrance was kept, but the inside is now bright, clean, and modern. The choir and organ are back at the west end, just like in the first 1827 design. The church is also easy for everyone to access, including those with disabilities. Behind the altar, there's a beautiful apse (a curved part) decorated with gold mosaic. You can still see a small part of the old 1873 sanctuary that survived the fire, and a side chapel with stained glass.
St Peter's Today
Today, St Peter's Church follows the liberal Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England. This means it has a mix of traditional and modern practices. It holds services using both the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship books.
Famous Weddings at St Peter's
St Peter's Church has been the location for several notable weddings over the years:
- Gertrude Vernon and Sir Andrew Agnew, 9th Baronet, on October 15, 1889.
- Prince Victor Duleep Singh and Lady Anne Blanche Alice of Coventry, on April 4, 1898.
- Edith Helen Chaplin and Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, on November 28, 1899.
- Dorothea Beighton and J. A. Middleton, a military hero, on January 4, 1921.
- Margaret Campbell Geddes and Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, on November 17, 1937. Their wedding was moved forward a day because Prince Ludwig's family was in a plane crash.
- Stirling Moss, a famous racing driver, and Canadian heiress Katie Molson, on October 7, 1957. Over 500 guests attended their wedding.
- Lady Camilla Bingham and Michael Bloch, on September 12, 1998.
See also
- List of Commissioners' churches in London
- Mother Cecile of Grahamstown
