St Peter's Church, Sudbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's, Sudbury |
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St Peter's, Sudbury, from the north
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| OS grid reference | TL 875 414 |
| Location | Sudbury, Suffolk |
| Country | England |
| Website | St Peters Sudbury |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 3 March 1952 |
| Architect(s) | William Butterfield George Frederick Bodley (restorations) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint with some stone, tile and brick |
St Peter's Church, Sudbury is a very old building in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. It used to be a church for the Anglican faith, but now it's a busy Arts Centre. This means it's a place where people can enjoy art, music, and community events. The building is very important and is protected as a Grade I listed building. It is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. St Peter's stands proudly in the heart of Sudbury, on Market Hill.
A church has been on this spot since at least the year 1180. However, the building you see today was mostly built in the 1400s. It has been repaired and updated many times since then.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
Early Beginnings and Changes
The first time St Peter's Church was mentioned in official papers was in 1180. Back then, it was a smaller church called a "chapel of ease." This meant it helped the main church, St Gregory's Church, serve the local people.
The church was built in three main steps. The first parts, including the front two sections of the chancel (the area around the altar) and the bottom of the tower, were built around 1330–1348. More parts were added around 1360, and then again between 1425 and 1450.
Times of Repair and Renewal
During the English Civil War in 1643, a person named William Dowsing damaged many items inside the church. He was an "iconoclast," meaning he believed religious images should be destroyed.
Later, in 1685, the church was repaired and some changes were made to the nave roof. A clock was put in the tower in 1701. In the early 1700s, a spire (a tall, pointed roof) made of metal and wood was added. This spire was replaced with a new one in 1810.
A big repair project, known as a "Victorian restoration," happened in 1858–1859. This was led by an architect named William Butterfield. During this time, three galleries (balconies) and old "box pews" (enclosed seats) were removed. The floor in the chancel was relaid, and the pulpit (where sermons are given) was replaced. Beautiful stained glass windows were also installed by a company called Hardman & Co. More stained glass was added later in the century.
Modern Use and Preservation
In 1898, the chancel was repaired and redecorated by another architect, George Frederick Bodley. A wooden reredos (a screen behind the altar) was put in the Lady Chapel (a special chapel). The outside stone parts of the church were repaired in 1911. At this time, statues were placed in three niches (small alcoves) on the south porch.
Another big repair happened in 1968. The top part of the tower was replaced, and the spire was taken down. Most of Bodley's paintings were also removed from the chancel.
In 1972, the church was declared "redundant." This means it was no longer needed for regular church services. In 1976, it was given to the Redundant Churches Fund, which is now called the Churches Conservation Trust. This trust looks after old churches that are no longer used for worship. A charity called The Friends of St. Peter's was also started to help support the trust in caring for the church.
Today, St Peter's is the Sudbury Arts Centre. It is used as a place for art, history, and community events. It is run as a "social enterprise," which means it's a business that aims to help the community rather than just make money.
Architecture of St Peter's Church
Outside the Church
St Peter's Church is mostly built from flint, which is a type of stone, along with some regular stone, brick, and tiles. The church's shape is not perfectly rectangular because it had to fit into a tight space. For example, the northwest corner is cut off, and the chancel doesn't line up perfectly with the nave (the main part of the church).
The church has a long main area called a six-bay nave. Above the nave is a clerestory, which is a row of windows that lets in light. On either side of the nave are north and south aisles (passageways). The chancel has two sections, with the organ room and vestry (a room for clergy) to the north and the Lady Chapel to the south. There's also an extended sanctuary (the holiest part) to the east. A tall west tower is built into the church itself.
The church shows two main styles of old English architecture: Decorated and Perpendicular. The tower has three levels with strong buttresses (supports) at the corners. The top of the tower has stepped battlements (like a castle wall), and instead of pointed decorations called pinnacles, it has statues at the corners. The aisles also have battlemented tops, and there are more buttresses around the church.
The main way to enter the church is through the west door at the bottom of the tower. In the past, people mostly used the south porch. On the outside of the south porch, there are three statues. They show Christ in the middle, with Saint Peter on one side and Saint Gregory on the other.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has six arcades (rows of arches). The piers (columns) on the north side are different from those on the south side. The roof is covered and divided into panels, with shiny gilt bosses (decorative carvings) where the panels meet. This is the only medieval nave roof in Suffolk that still has its original covered and paneled design. Some of Bodley's paintings can still be seen on the arch leading to the chancel.
In the south aisle, you'll find an eight-sided font from the 1400s. A funny story about this font is that it was taken out of the church in the 1600s and used as a horse trough! But it was brought back when the horses refused to drink from it.
In the chancel, the reredos designed by Bodley is about 20 feet (6.1 meters) high and 7 feet (2.1 meters) wide. It shows a picture of the Crucifixion (Jesus on the cross). On the sides of the chancel are screens from the 1400s. In the Lady Chapel, the font has carvings of the Nativity (the birth of Jesus). The reredos here is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, Last Supper. Above the north and south doors are paintings of Moses and Aaron. These were painted by Robert Cardinall and used to hang near the main reredos at the east end of the church.
The lectern (where readings are given), the pulpit, and the altar are all from the Victorian period. The stained glass windows are also Victorian. The organ, which has three keyboards (called "manuals"), was built in 1911 by T. C. Lewis. It was repaired in 1942 by Henry Willis & Sons and rebuilt in 1987 by Bishop. A major rebuild was done by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd in 1999. The church also has a ring of ten bells. The oldest three bells were made around 1470, and the newest two were made in 1978.
See also
