St Peter's Church, Northampton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Northampton
St Peter's Church from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SP 749 603
Location	Marefair, Northampton
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	Saint Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	19 January 1952
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Neo-Norman
Groundbreaking	1130–40
Completed	1850s
Specifications
Materials	Ironstone, oolithic limestone

St Peter's Church is a very old Anglican church in Northampton, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This church is listed as a Grade I listed building, which means it is very important historically. The Churches Conservation Trust now takes care of it. Many people think it is the best example of Norman architecture in Northamptonshire. Its stone carvings are also considered some of the best in England from the Romanesque period.

A Look at St Peter's Church History

This church stands on a special spot. It is between where an old Anglo-Saxon palace once stood and Northampton Castle. Before the current church, two others were built here. One was made of wood, and the other of stone. The church you see today was likely built around 1130 to 1140. It was probably built by a person named Simon de Senlis II.

In the 1390s, a woman named Anna Palmer lived as an anchoress next to the church. An anchoress was a religious person who lived alone in a small room attached to a church. She was called before the Bishop of Lincoln because of her beliefs. She was said to be a leader of a group called Lollards, who had different religious ideas.

The church's west tower fell down by 1607. It was rebuilt later in the same century. When rebuilt, it was moved about 3.7 meters (12 feet) to the east. In the 1850s, the church was restored by a famous architect, George Gilbert Scott. This work included putting on a new roof. He also rebuilt the east end and lowered the floor of the nave by about 0.3 meters (1 foot). Scott also rebuilt the clerestory, which is the upper part of the nave walls with windows. He made sure to leave the old Norman carvings untouched. Later, in 1878–79, his son, John Oldrid Scott, added decorative patterns using stencils on the inside of the east wall.

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

The west side of the tower

St Peter's Church is built from two types of stone. It uses reddish ironstone and yellowish oolithic limestone. These two colors of stone are sometimes used in a pattern. This creates a decorative look both inside and outside the church. The church has a nave (the main part) and a chancel (the area near the altar). There is no wall dividing these two sections.

There are also north and south aisles. These run along both the nave and the chancel. The aisles next to the chancel are now used as vestries, which are rooms for clergy. Above both the nave and the chancel is a clerestory. This is a row of windows high up that lets in light.

The church has doorways on both the north and south sides of the nave. The north doorway also has a porch. Both doorways are in the Norman style. They have round-headed arches.

The tower has three main sections. It has a battlemented parapet at the top, which looks like the top of a castle wall. There are buttresses, which are supports, at the western corners. On the bottom part of the west side, there is a window with three lights. Above it is the arch of the original west doorway. This arch is round-headed. It has three layers of carved stone called archivolts. These are decorated with carved stones called voussoirs.

The middle part of the tower has round-headed arcades. These are rows of arches that are decorative and don't lead anywhere. The west side has eight arches in one row. The north side has two rows of arcades, each with seven arches. The top row on the north side also has a clock face. The south side also has two rows. The upper row has eight arches, and the lower row has six. At the very top of the tower, on each side, there is a two-light bell opening. These openings have louvers, which are angled slats.

Along the north and south sides of the clerestory, there are Norman arcades. Above these are corbels. These are stone supports that stick out from the wall and hold up the roof. The corbels are carved with many different images. Most of these are human and animal heads. The east side of the church was designed by Gilbert Scott. It has three levels. These levels are separated by string courses, which are decorative bands of stone. In the middle, a round column goes up to the top of the second level. All the windows are round-headed. The lowest level has one window on each side of the column. The middle level has two windows on each side. The top level has a gable shape. It has one window in the center. Its arch has a sawtooth pattern. On each side of this window is a small quatrefoil window, which is shaped like a four-leaf clover. Above it is a small round-headed niche, which is a shallow recess in the wall.

Inside the Church

The aisles are separated from the nave and chancel by a long row of arches. This row has eight bays, which are sections of the arcade. Five bays are between the nave and the aisles. The other three bays are between the chancel and the aisles. The arch leading to the tower and all the arches in the arcades are in the Norman style.

The capitals are the tops of the columns. They are carved with many different designs. These include faces, leaves, animals, birds, and other patterns. The east wall has the special decorations added by Oldrid Scott. In front of the east wall is a beautifully carved reredos. This is a screen or decoration behind the altar. It has paintings by artists named Burlison and Grylls. The lectern, where readings are given, is made of brass.

The font, used for baptisms, is from the 14th century. It has a painted cover designed by Gilbert Scott. The stained glass windows were made in the second half of the 19th century. In the south aisle, there is an old Saxon grave slab. It is carved with birds, beasts, and a Green Man, which is a face made of leaves.

The church also has memorials. One is for the geologist William Smith, who died in 1839. He is buried in the churchyard. His memorial is a bust, which is a sculpture of his head and shoulders. It was carved by Matthew Noble. The church has a ring of eight bells. All of them were made in 1734 by Abraham II Rudhall.

The Church Today

St Peter's Church stopped being used for regular services in 1995. In 1998, it was officially given to the Churches Conservation Trust. In 2002, there was a problem with mould growing inside the church. This was because of too much condensation and the use of oil-based paint that didn't let the walls breathe.

To fix this, low-level heating was put in. The mould and old paint layers were removed. Then, the walls were painted with limewash, which allows the building to "breathe." The original decorations by Oldrid Scott had been painted over. This paint was also carefully removed, showing the beautiful original designs.

Today, the church is used as a community space. Concerts, educational events, and social gatherings are held there. Sometimes, special church services also take place. A group called The Friends of St Peter's was started in 1995. They work to take care of the church building. They also help with research and encourage the community to use the building.

See also

• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands
• List of churches in Northampton