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St Peter-in-the-East facts for kids

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St Peter-in-the-East
Parish Church of St Peter-in-the-East
St Peter-in-the-East.jpg
St Peter-in-the-East, now St Edmund Hall library
Location Queen's Lane, Oxford
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Church of England
Website St Edmund Hall Oxford
Architecture
Style Norman, Perpendicular Gothic
Years built 12th century
Administration
Diocese Oxford

St Peter-in-the-East is a 12th-century church on Queen's Lane, north of the High Street in central Oxford, England. It is now deconsecrated and houses the college library of St Edmund Hall. The churchyard to the north is laid out as a garden and contains a seated bronze statue depicting St Edmund as an impoverished student.

History

St Peter-in-the-East is believed to be named after the 5th-century church of S. Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, Italy. When the Church of St Peter-le-Bailey was built in precincts of Oxford Castle, this church was renamed St-Peter-in-the-East since it is located near the East Gate of the walled city of Oxford. The Norman parts of the current church were built around 1140 by Robert D'Oilly, who was then Governor of Oxford.

There was a church of St Peter in Oxford before this one, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book of c1085:

the church of St. Peter Oxenford holds of Robert two hides in Haliwelle...It was worth twenty shillings, now it is worth forty...

The church passed to the Crown from D'Oilly's heirs. In 1266, King Henry III gave it to Walter de Merton and thus until the 1970s, Merton College held the advowson for the church. The churches at Wolvercote and Holywell were originally chapels of ease of St Peter's.

At present, the building serves as the College library of St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. It was deconsecrated and converted in the 1970s.

Images for kids

  • St Peter-in-the-East inside

    The interior of St Peter-in-the-East, which is now the College Library of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford

  • St Edmund bronze

    Seated statue of St Edmund of Abingdon in the churchyard.

  • St Peter In The East on Queens Lane - geograph.org.uk - 1419206

    The church, as seen from the Queen's Lane

  • Teddy Hall Library in the snow

    The Church in the snow

  • St. Peter-in-the-East, Oxford; crypt showing bones and skull Wellcome V0014252

    A nineteenth century drawing of the Norman crypt below St Peter-in-the-East

  • The church of St. Peter-in-the-East, Oxford; section of the Wellcome V0014253

    An etching of the side profile of the church, including the crypt below it

  • St Edmund Hall, Oxford (Pic 5)

    The Broadbent garden, around the back of the church

  • St Peter in the East

    The church and the surrounding gardens

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