St Peter's Church, Petersfield facts for kids
St Peter's Church is an Anglican church in Petersfield, Hampshire, England. It's part of the Portsmouth Diocese. This old church is a Grade I listed building, which means it's very important and protected. You can find it right in the middle of Petersfield, on the south side of the town square. A famous architect named Nikolaus Pevsner once said it was "one of the most interesting churches in Hampshire."
Contents
Church History
St Peter's started as a small church called a 'chapel of ease'. It was known as 'St. Peter's in-the-veld', meaning 'in the open field'. This chapel was part of a larger area called West Mapledurham (later known as Buriton). Even though Petersfield grew much bigger, St Peter's stayed a chapel of Buriton until 1886. That's when it became its own separate church parish. Since 1984, the same Vicar leads both Petersfield and Buriton churches.
The church was first built in the Norman style. This means it was built by people from Normandy, France, a long time ago. At the end of the 1100s, new parts called north and south aisles were added. The church tower was made taller in the 1300s, and a decorative top edge was put on it. In the 1400s, new windows with special Perpendicular designs were put in.
In 1873, the church had a big makeover called a Victorian restoration. This work was led by an architect named Sir Arthur Blomfield.
St Peter's Church was closed for a while starting in October 1998. This was for a huge project called 'St Peter's 2000 Project'. They did a lot of repair work and changed the inside layout. The church was officially opened again by the Bishop of Portsmouth on October 1, 1999.
About the Church Building
St Peter's Church was first built in a cruciform shape, like a cross. A tower was added soon after it was built. The arch leading to the main altar area, called the chancel arch, has two parts. One part is very old, and the other was added during the 1873 restoration. The church has two side sections called transepts. The south transept was used as a small chapel. It has a special stone basin from the 1200s called a piscina, which was used for washing holy vessels. Each transept has different designs on the tops of its pillars.
The Jolliffe family, who were important local landowners, had their own special seating area, or gallery, in the south-west part of the church. In 1962, there was a big fire. After that, the wooden roof above the south side aisle had to be replaced.
Inside the Church
The main part of the church, called the nave, has arches on both sides. These arches connect the nave to the side aisles. Some of these arches are very old. The pillars supporting the arches have different designs on their tops. The upper part of the nave walls, called the clerestory, was added in the early 1900s. It has pairs of round-headed windows.
The west tower has four levels. The top level was built in the 1400s and has windows with two arched lights. The lower three levels of the tower are from the 1100s. There's a staircase at the southwest corner that you can enter from outside the church.
Special Features
- Font: The font, which is used for baptisms, is from the 1400s. It was removed in 1873 and sat in the churchyard for 70 years before being brought back and fixed up.
- Organ: A new organ was put in the church in 1992 by Lammermuir Pipe Organs.
- Stained Glass: There are beautiful stained glass windows in the church. One window remembers Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, and another honors Mary Sumner, who started the Mothers' Union.
- Altar: The church's altar was made by a famous craftsman named Edward Barnsley.
- Memorials: On the south wall, there's a brass plaque honoring Loftus Jones. He was Petersfield's only person to receive the Victoria Cross, a very brave award. Other brass plates remember Anne Holt (1655) and Dr. Thomas Aylwin (1704) and his wife Mary (1693). Many old memorials have been moved to the far south of the church.
Church Bells
St Peter's Church has eight bells! They were made by different bell makers over many years.
- The first two bells were made by Warner in 1889.
- The third and seventh bells were made by Taylor in 1895.
- The fourth and fifth bells were made by Robert Catlin in 1750.
- The sixth bell was made by Thomas Lester in 1746.
- The largest bell, called the tenor, was made by Pack and Chapman in 1771.
Churchyard
The churchyard is mostly on the south side of the church. It has a gate on the east side. In 1754, steps, a wall, and a gate were added on the east side of the churchyard. This was so the local landowner, William Jolliffe, and his family could enter the church more privately.
Vicars of Petersfield (1886 onwards)
Here are some of the people who have led St Peter's Church since it became its own parish:
Francis Jervoise Causton (1886-1909)
Francis Causton was the first Vicar of St Peter's after it became a separate parish. He had studied at Bradfield College and University College, Oxford. Later, he became the Master of St Cross Hospital, a very old almshouse near Winchester.
Archdall Malden Hill (1909-1914)
Archdall Hill studied at Blundell's School and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He became good friends with Leonard Hedley Burrows, who later became the first Bishop of Sheffield.
William Henry Thomas (1914-1921)
William Thomas trained at Sarum College. Before coming to St Peter's, he was the Vicar of Privett.
Elliot Charles Archer Kent (1930-1950)
Elliot Kent studied at the London College of Divinity. He arrived in Petersfield in 1930. He was also a governor of Churcher's College and led the Diocesan Bell Ringing Society.
Frederic Walter Hadfield (1951-1959)
Frederic Hadfield became a priest in 1937. He was a chaplain in the RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) during World War II.
Ronald Harry Granger (1970-1990)
Ronald Granger studied at Selwyn College, Cambridge. Before coming to Petersfield, he worked at St Mary's, Portsea and led two churches on the Isle of Wight.
Giles Harris-Evans (1999-2010)
Giles Harris-Evans was the Vicar from 1999 to 2010. His work as a priest took him to many different places around the world, including Bangalore, Sri Lanka, and Coventry. After retiring, he continued to help the church, even working as a human rights observer in Palestine.
Will Hughes (2011-present)
Will Hughes is the current Vicar of St Peter's. He studied at Exeter University and Ripon College Cuddesdon. Before coming to Petersfield, he was the Vicar of Blackmoor with Whitehill.
