St Peter's Church, Tiverton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Tiverton |
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St Peter's Church, Tiverton
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| 50°54′20″N 3°29′20″W / 50.90556°N 3.48889°W | |
| Location | St Peter Street, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6NR |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Tiverton |
| Archdeaconry | Exeter |
| Diocese | Diocese of Exeter |
St Peter's Church in Tiverton, Devon, is a very old and important church. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered a special historical site. This church is part of the Church of England.
A Look Back in Time
St Peter's Church first opened its doors way back in 1073. That's almost a thousand years ago! Over the centuries, the church has been repaired and updated many times. For example, big restoration projects happened between 1825 and 1829, and again from 1853 to 1856.
A famous expert named Nikolaus Pevsner once described the church. He said it was "a gorgeously ostentatious display of civic pride." This means the people of Tiverton were very proud of their town and showed it off with this beautiful church. In 1952, the building was officially named a Grade I listed site. This protects it as a very important part of history.
The Church Organ
The church has had organs for a very long time. The first records of an organ here are from 1524. The main organ you see today was built in 1696 by Christian Smith. Since then, it has been changed and improved by different builders. These include Andrews and Shirland in 1711, John Snetzler in 1770, and Henry Willis in 1867. The most recent major update was by Noel Mander in 1967. You can find all the details about this amazing instrument on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Something very special happened at this church because of its organ. It was the place where Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" was first played in public! This famous piece of music was performed by Samuel Reay on June 2, 1847. It was played for the wedding of Dorothy Carew and Tom Daniel.
