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 | |
| OS grid reference | SS 95417 12840 |
| 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, Tiverton is an important church located in Tiverton, Devon, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is so special that it has a "Grade I listed" status. This means it's considered a building of exceptional historical and architectural importance.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
Early Beginnings and Renovations
St Peter's Church has a very long history, dating all the way back to 1073. Over the centuries, the church has been updated and repaired many times. Major restoration work happened between 1825 and 1829, led by G.A. Boyce. Later, from 1853 to 1856, Edward Ashworth of Exeter also worked on restoring the church. These projects helped keep the old building in good shape.
A Symbol of Town Pride
A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, once said that St Peter's Church was "a gorgeously ostentatious display of civic pride." This means the church was built in a very grand and showy way. It showed how proud the people of Tiverton were of their town. The church was officially given its Grade I listed status in 1952, recognizing its special value.
The Church Organ
A Long Musical History
The church has had organs for a very long time. The first records of an organ here go back to 1524. The main organ you see today was built in 1696 by a person named Christian Smith. Since then, it has been changed and improved several times.
Famous Organ Builders
Important organ builders like Andrews and Shirland worked on it in 1711. Later, John Snetzler made changes in 1770. In 1867, Henry Willis, a very famous organ builder, also worked on it. The most recent major update was in 1967 by Noel Mander. You can find all the details about this amazing organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
A Special Musical Moment
St Peter's Church is famous for a very special event in music history. It was here that Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" was first played in public. This happened on June 2, 1847. The organist, Samuel Reay, performed it at the wedding of Dorothy Carew and Tom Daniel. This piece of music is now one of the most famous wedding songs in the world!
