St Peter's Church, Snelston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter’s Church, Snelston |
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St Peter’s Church, Snelston
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| 52°59′14.15″N 1°46′11.33″W / 52.9872639°N 1.7698139°W | |
| Location | Snelston, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Snelston |
| Deanery | Ashbourne |
| Archdeaconry | Derby |
| Diocese | Derby |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Peter's Church in Snelston, Derbyshire, is a historic church. It belongs to the Church of England. This building is special because it is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of the Church
The church building first started in the early 1400s. A big part of the church was rebuilt in 1825. More major changes happened in 1907. These changes were paid for by Mrs. Henry Stanton.
Changes in 1907
During the 1907 changes, the main part of the church, called the nave, was made longer by about 3 meters. A new front door was added on the west side. Above this door, a small space was made for a statue of St Peter.
Inside, a larger archway was built at the entrance to the chancel. The chancel is the part of the church where the altar is. A new screen made of carved oak was also put in. The floor of the chancel was redone with black and white marble. A new reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar, was installed. It was made of oak and alabaster. A new room for the choir was also created.
The building work was done by Bowman and Sons. The decorating was done by Mr. Ashforth and Mr. Bridgeman. The church officially reopened on October 16, 1907. The Bishop of Southwell attended the special service.
A Disagreement at the Church
Around 1916, there was a disagreement involving the church's new leader, Reverend J.M. Trevor, and Mrs. Stanton, who lived at Snelston Hall. Mrs. Stanton and her household usually attended church and she even led the choir.
One Sunday, Mrs. Stanton told the organist she did not want the psalms to be sung during the evening service. Reverend Trevor decided to let the churchgoers decide. Since many people were there, he chose to have the psalms sung. Mrs. Stanton was not happy about this.
After this, Mrs. Stanton stopped her yearly payment towards the organist's salary. This led to Mrs. Stanton and her family no longer coming to church. Many other families in the village also stopped attending. The male choir members, who worked for Mrs. Stanton's family, also stopped coming. Even the electricity for the church, which came from Snelston Hall, was turned off.
Reverend Trevor was also stopped from getting keys to the church clock and bell tower, which were kept at the Hall. This problem continued for several years.
Parish Status
St Peter's Church is part of a "joint parish." This means it shares a church leader and resources with another nearby church.
The Organ
The church has a pipe organ that was built in 1877 by a company called Gray & Davison. A pipe organ is a large musical instrument that makes sound by pushing air through many pipes. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
The Bells
The church tower holds three bells.
- One bell was made in 1635 by George Oldfield.
- Another bell was made in 1755 by Thomas Hedderley.
- The third bell was made in 1688, also by George Oldfield.
All three bells were re-hung, or put back into place, in 1907.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Derbyshire Dales
- Listed buildings in Snelston
