St Peter-in-Ely facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter-in-Ely
St Peter-in-Ely Location in Cambridgeshire
52°23′40″N 0°15′55″E / 52.39436°N 0.26533°E / 52.39436; 0.26533
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, England. It is part of the Church of England. You can find it on Broad Street. This church follows a tradition called Anglo-Catholic or "high-church." This means it has a more traditional style of worship.

The church is built from stone. It has a main worship area (called the nave), a special area near the altar (the chancel), a porch, and a small tower with one bell. The architects were St Aubyn and Wadling. A beautiful window on the east side was made by Charles Eamer Kempe. There is also a wooden screen and a special loft designed by Sir Ninian Comper. The church first opened for services in 1890. It was built to serve people living and working near the river in Ely.

History of the Church

In the late 1880s, a woman named Catharine Maria Sparke decided to build a church. She wanted to honor her husband, Canon Edward Bowyer Sparke. He had seen that people in Ely's riverside area needed a church.

The new church cost £5,000 to build. It was built on land that used to be an orchard. On St Peter's Day in 1889, the first stone was laid. On June 30, 1890, the church was officially opened. It was dedicated to St Peter by the Bishop of Ely, Lord Alwyne Compton.

Maria Sparke set up a special fund for the church. This fund helps to run the church and pay for a priest or curate. These priests lead services according to the Church of England's teachings. St Peter-in-Ely is a "proprietary chapel." This means it is owned and managed by a group of Trustees. They are a registered charity.

The Amazing Kempe Window

The Kempe window, a beautiful piece of art.

The large window at the east end of the church was made in 1892. It was created by the London studio of Charles Eamer Kempe. A priest named Revd. Salisbury Price asked for it to be made.

• The middle part of the window shows the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus.
• On either side are two important saints: St Edmund, a king, and St Etheldreda, who founded a monastery.
• The outer parts show St Augustine of Canterbury and St Thomas Becket.

Above these main parts, there is a round window that looks like a rose. In the center is a symbol of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). Around it are six angels and six lilies. The lilies have "Ave Maria" written on them, which means "Hail Mary." This shows how important Mary is in the window's design.

At the very bottom of the window, you can see symbols of families. There are also images of St Michael and St George. These figures honor Lieutenant-General Henry Hope Crealock. He was Revd Salisbury Price's uncle and left him a lot of money. The face of St George in the window was replaced later.

The border of the window has patterns of leopards' heads and wheat. These symbols come from the Price and Crealock family crests. A small wheat symbol in the bottom left corner is special. It was the first time this symbol was used in a Kempe window design. It later became a common mark for his work.

The Comper Screen

The Comper Screen, a detailed wooden structure.

The Rood Screen at St Peter-in-Ely is thought to be one of the first big works by Sir Ninian Comper. It was made in 1893. The screen was carved in London from 'Oregon pine'. Then it was sent to Ely in pieces to be put together and painted. This took over three months. Like the Kempe window, the Revd. Salisbury Price asked for this screen to be made.

The screen has arches that hold up a gallery, which is like a walkway. This gallery is about six feet (1.8 meters) wide. Above it is a rood, which is a large cross with figures of St Mary and John the Apostle. The underside of the gallery is beautifully carved, painted, and covered in gold.

The panels on the screen have designs of flowers. Above the central doors are two shields. These shields show the symbols of the Upcher and Sparke families. These families gave a lot of money 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 prayers about the Holy Cross. These prayers are very old and show how important the cross is in Christian worship.

The Hill Pipe Organ

The Hill Organ, a small but special instrument.

The pipe organ at St Peter's-in-Ely was made by William Hill & Son. It is a small organ with only seven stops (which control the sounds). It has one keyboard for the hands and half a pedal-board for the feet. The Upcher family gave this organ to the church. They were related to Maria Hester, who was the daughter of Edward Bowyer and Catharine Maria Sparke.

The organ was installed in 1891, a bit after the church opened. In September 2021, this organ was given a special Grade II status by the British Institute of Organ Studies. This means it is considered an important historical instrument.

Services at St Peter's

St Peter-in-Ely holds regular church services.

• A sung service of Holy Communion is held every Sunday at 9:30 AM.
• A spoken service of Holy Communion is held every Tuesday at 12:00 PM.
• Evening Prayer is said on Monday at 6:00 PM.

There are also extra services during special times of the year. These include Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. A choir sings during the service on the fourth Sunday of each month.

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