St Peter-in-Ely facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter-in-Ely |
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 St Peter-in-Ely
Location in Cambridgeshire
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| 52°23′40″N 0°15′55″E / 52.39436°N 0.26533°E | |
| Location | Ely |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter |
| Dedicated | 1890 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | James Piers St Aubyn and Henry John Wadling |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Ely |
St Peter-in-Ely, also known as St Peter's Church, Ely, is a special church in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. It's located on Broad Street and belongs to the Church of England. This church is known for following the Anglo-Catholic or "high-church" tradition. This means it has more traditional styles of worship and ceremonies.
The church building is made of stone and was built in a style called Early Decorated Period. This is a type of architecture popular in England a long time ago. The church has a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (where the people sit), a south porch, and a small bell tower with one bell. The main architects were James Piers St Aubyn and Henry John Wadling. Inside, you can see a beautiful east window made by Charles Eamer Kempe. There's also a wooden screen and a rood loft (a gallery above the screen) designed by Sir Ninian Comper.
St Peter's Church first opened for worship in 1890. It was built to serve the people living and working near the riverside in Ely.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
In the late 1880s, a woman named Catharine Maria Sparke decided to build a church. She wanted to remember her husband, Canon Edward Bowyer Sparke. He had always felt that the riverside area of Ely needed its own church.
The new church cost £5,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! It was built on land that used to be an orchard. The first stone was laid on St Peter's Day in 1889. On June 30, 1890, the church was officially opened and dedicated to St Peter by the Bishop of Ely, Lord Alwyne Compton.
Maria Sparke set up a special fund to make sure the church would always have money. This money would help run the church and pay for a priest to lead services. St Peter-in-Ely is a "proprietary chapel," which means it's owned and managed by a group of Trustees. These Trustees are part of a registered charity.
The Beautiful Kempe Window
The large east window has five sections and was made in 1892. It was created by the famous London studio of Charles Eamer Kempe. A priest named Revd. Salisbury Price asked for this window to be made.
In the middle section of the window, you can see the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. On either side of them are two important saints: Edmund the Martyr, who was a king of East Anglia, and St Etheldreda, who founded the monastery in Ely. The outer sections show St Augustine of Canterbury and St Thomas Becket.
Above these main sections, there's a round window that looks like a rose. In its center, there's a symbol of the Eucharistic Host, which is important in Christian worship. Six angels are shown around it, and six lilies are in the spaces between them. The lilies have "Ave Maria" written on them, which is a prayer to the Virgin Mary.
At the very bottom of the window, you can see symbols of heraldry (family crests). There are also images of St Michael and St George. The three panels in the very center at the bottom are blank. This is because, a long time ago, a cloth-covered frame used to stand behind the altar and cover this part of the window. Now that it's gone, these blank panels let in bright light.
The window was dedicated to Lieutenant-General Henry Hope Crealock. He was the uncle of Revd Salisbury Price and had left him a lot of money. The images of St Michael and St George are a nod to General Crealock's military honors. The window also includes symbols from the Price and Crealock family crests.
The Comper Screen and Rood Loft
The Rood Screen at St Peter-in-Ely is thought to be one of the first big projects by Sir Ninian Comper. It was made in 1893. The screen was carved in London from 'Oregon pine' wood. Then, it was sent to Ely in pieces and put together and painted right there in the church. This took over three months! Like the Kempe window, the screen was also asked for by Revd. Salisbury Price.
The screen has arches that support a gallery, which is about 1.8 meters (6 feet) wide. This gallery holds a rood, which is a large cross with figures of St Mary and John the Apostle on either side. The underside of the gallery is beautifully carved, painted, and covered in gold. The panels of the screen are decorated with pretty, stylized flowers. Above the central doors, there are two shields with the family crests of the Upcher and Sparke families. These families gave a lot of gifts to the church.
The screen also has Latin words carved into it. One part says, "Let us pray for the benefactors of this chapel." Other parts are old prayers for the Feast of Holy Cross, which talk about how Jesus saved Peter in the sea and how the cross washed away our sins.
The Hill Pipe Organ
The pipe organ at St Peter's-in-Ely was made by William Hill & Son. It's a small organ with only seven stops, one keyboard for the hands (called a manual), and a half-sized pedal-board for the feet. This organ was a gift from the Upcher family.
The organ was installed in 1891, a little after the church first opened. It was built especially for St Peter's Church. In September 2021, the organ was given a special "Grade II status" by the British Institute of Organ Studies. This means it's considered an important historical instrument.
Services at St Peter's
St Peter-in-Ely holds services every week. A sung service of Holy Communion takes place every Sunday at 9:30 AM. A shorter Holy Communion service is held every Tuesday at 12:00 PM. Evening Prayer is said on Monday evenings at 6:00 PM.
The church also has extra services during special times of the year, like Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. On the fourth Sunday of each month, a choir joins in to help with the singing.
Images for kids
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View of the Sanctuary
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Chancel
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East end
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Angel on rood screen
External links
- Church website
- A Church Near You
- Church Facebook page
