St Peter's Church, Upton Cross facts for kids

St Peter's Church was once a building belonging to the Church of England in East London. It was located on Upton Lane in an area called Upton Cross, within Newham. This church no longer exists today.

What Was St Peter's Church?

St Peter's Church was a place where people gathered for Christian worship. It was part of the Church of England, which is the main Christian church in England. The church served the local community in Upton Cross for many years.

How St Peter's Church Began

The idea for St Peter's Church started as a "mission" from another church nearby, St Mary's Church, Plaistow. A mission means they wanted to spread their church's work to a new area. At first, services were held in a simple barn. Later, they used a special building called an "iron church." This was a church made from sheets of iron, which could be built quickly and easily.

Building the Permanent Church

In 1885, an important house called Upton House was bought. This house used to belong to a famous surgeon, Joseph Lister. The house became the "vicarage," which is the home for the church's priest or vicar. The garden of Upton House was chosen as the perfect spot to build a permanent church.

The new, lasting church building was finished in 1893. The very next year, in 1894, St Peter's was given its own "parish." A parish is like a local area that a church is responsible for. St Peter's parish was created from parts of other nearby church parishes, including All Saints, St Mary's, Emmanuel, and St Stephen's.

The Church's Later Years

In 1962, St Peter's parish was joined with the parish of Emmanuel Church. St Peter's Church itself remained standing. It was used as a "chapel of ease," which means it was a smaller church used for services to help the main Emmanuel Church.

However, the vicarage (the priest's house) was pulled down in 1968. The land where it stood was sold. Money from this sale, and from selling the church hall, was meant to help build a new church, church hall, and a new home for the clergy (church leaders).

But these plans never happened. In 1972, St Peter's Church was declared "redundant." This means it was no longer needed for church services. The building was then demolished, and its land was also sold. Because of this, the plans for new buildings were completely stopped three years later.