St Peter's Church, Letwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Letwell |
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| 53°22′39″N 1°09′38″W / 53.3774°N 1.1605°W | |
| OS grid reference | SK 55947 87052 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Peter |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Firbeck with Letwell and Woodsetts |
| Archdeaconry | Doncaster |
| Diocese | Sheffield |
| Province | York |
St Peter's Church in Letwell is a special church that belongs to the Church of England. It is located in the small village of Letwell.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
The Church of St Peter is found at the west end of the village of Letwell. This village is close to Rotherham in South Yorkshire. The church was first built a very long time ago, around the year 1375. A person named John Mauleverer was responsible for building it.
Over the years, the church has been changed and rebuilt many times. A big part of it was rebuilt in 1820. This was paid for by Henry Gally Knight, who owned a nearby place called Firbeck Hall. However, just a few decades later, a fire badly damaged the church.
Today, the church still has its old tower from the 14th century. The main part of the church, called the nave, and the rounded end, called the apse, were rebuilt in the Victorian era. This means they were built during the time of Queen Victoria. The church is considered a very important historical building and is listed as Grade II*.
The Great Fire of 1867
In 1867, a fire broke out at St Peter's Church. Only the tower and a small room called the vestry survived the fire. The fire started by accident. A person named Harry Radley, who was the church's caretaker (called a sexton), had put too much coal in the boiler. He did this because people in the church were complaining that they were cold. This caused the boiler to get too hot and start the fire.
After the fire, the church was rebuilt and decorated. This was paid for by Sir Thomas White, 2nd Baronet. His father, also named Sir Thomas White, was a famous soldier. He had even created a group of soldiers called the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Cavalry. Much of the beautiful decoration inside the church was added by Sir Thomas White's daughters.
Church Organ
St Peter's Church is quite unique because it does not have a large pipe organ. Instead, it uses a special musical instrument called a harmonium. This harmonium was made in the 1800s by a company called the Estey Organ Company. They were located in a place called Brattleboro, Vermont in the United States.
Churchyard and Nature
The area around the church, known as the churchyard, is very special for plants. It has been named a Grade III Botanical site. This means it is an important place for different kinds of plants to grow.
Current Activities
St Peter's Church is part of the Diocese of Sheffield. It works together with two other churches: St Martin's in Firbeck and St George's in Woodsetts. The church holds worship services every Sunday. They take turns holding different types of services, either Matins in the morning or Evensong in the evening.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in South Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Letwell
