St Peter's Church, Raunds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter’s Church, Raunds
52°20′48″N 0°31′59″W / 52.34676°N 0.53294°W / 52.34676; -0.53294
Location	Raunds, Northamptonshire, England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Catholic Church
Website	http://4spires.org/
History
Former name(s)	St Mary’s Church, Raunds
Dedication	Saint Peter
Specifications
Spire height	176 feet (54 metres)
Administration
Benefice	4 Spires
Deanery	Higham
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Oakham
Diocese	Diocese of Peterborough
Province	Canterbury

St Peter's Church is a very old parish church in the town of Raunds, Northamptonshire, England. It's famous for its amazing wall paintings and its tall, beautiful tower and spire. Because it's so important, it is a Grade I listed building. The church sits on a hill on Church Street.

The History of the Church

The church you see today was mostly built between the 1100s and 1300s. It is believed to stand on the spot where an even older church once was.

Until the 1400s, the church was named after St Mary. Today, it is dedicated to St Peter.

Special Features and Tombs

Stone carvings on the church tower.

Inside, you can find many interesting historical items. The font, where baptisms happen, is from the 1200s and has a carving of a ram's head. There are also several old tombs. One belongs to John Tawyer, who died in 1470. Another is for John Wales, who was the vicar of the church for almost 50 years until 1496.

In a special chapel, you can see monuments for Robert Gage (who died in 1606) and William Gage (who died in 1632). A very unusual carving above the west entrance shows a 'left-handed fiddler'.

Changes and Restorations

The inside of the church was restored, or repaired, in 1874 and 1878 by the famous architect Sir Gilbert Scott. During this time, a gallery at the west end was removed.

The church's large three-keyboard organ was built by Peter Conacher. It was a gift in 1893 from John King–Smith, who owned a boot factory in Raunds. The organ was last restored in 2006.

In 2007, the churches in Raunds, Hargrave, Ringstead, and Stanwick joined together to form "The 4 Spires Benefice". Each village still has its own church.

The Church's Architecture

The church is built from limestone. Its tall tower and spire are a major landmark. For a long time, people thought the spire was 202 feet tall. But a survey in 2011 found it is actually 176 feet (54 metres) high.

Inside the Church

The main part of the church is called the nave. On each side of the nave are rows of six arches, called arcades, which separate it from the side aisles. Above the arches are two rows of windows called clerestories, which let in a lot of light.

The north aisle has six large windows with detailed stone patterns called tracery. The south aisle has five similar windows. The outside of the church, especially the tower, is decorated in a style called high English gothic. The inside is also richly decorated with carved wood and amazing wall paintings from the 1300s and 1400s.

The Raunds Mechanical Clock

The Raunds Clock is located above the arch leading to the tower.

St Peter's has a very rare mechanical clock from the 1400s. It is known as the Raunds Clock. It is located under the tower arch and has a painted face.

Unlike modern clocks, this one has only one hand and shows all 24 hours of the day. The clock face is decorated with paintings of two angels who look like they are holding it up. The people who paid for the clock, John and Sarah Catlyn, are shown kneeling behind the angels. A Latin text asks people to pray for them.

The Raunds Wall Paintings

The church is also home to the Raunds Wall Paintings. These are a set of incredible paintings from the late Middle Ages (around the 1400s). They cover the north wall of the nave.

The paintings show several stories and ideas.

• The Seven Deadly Sins: A famous painting showing the seven main sins according to Christian tradition.
• The Three Quick and Three Dead: A story that reminds people of their mortality. It shows three rich noblemen meeting three skeletons.
• Saint Christopher: A large painting of St. Christopher carrying the young Christ Child across a river.

These paintings were carefully restored in the 1960s. In the north aisle, there were once paintings showing the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, but they have faded over time.

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Northamptonshire
• The Pickering Wall Paintings
• The Slapton Wall Paintings