What's so special about St Peter's?

 

 

 

St Peter's Church - some views inside and out

  • The first St Peter’s Church was erected on this site in 1272.
  • The tower is 83 feet tall and dates from 13c; it houses eight bells, six were originally cast by Pennington Bros of Cornwall in 1777, one of these was recast by Gillett & Johnson in 1928 and two new bells cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry, were added in 2016.
  • The present clock was manufactured in 1878.
  • The Church was completely restored in 1871.
  • The pulpit was carved by 17 year old Violet Pinwell in 1891 and depicts no fewer than 60 animals!
  • The organ pipes were hand painted in 1874 by Miss Edith Wyllys, an artist then aged 22 and living in Stoke Fleming.
  • On the 17c brass of Elias Newcomen is a 17century pun saying that Elias is ‘New-come-in to heaven’s habitation’!
  • The brasses on the floor of the nave date from 1391.
  • The Norman Font still shows the marks of a hinge and bolt for locking, as specified when it was ordered in 1236.
  • The War Memorial is a 14c wayside cross which was used as a gatepost until being restored and adapted in 1919.
  • In the churchyard to the rear of the church is the tomb of George Parker Bidder, known as the "calculating boy", who later became a renowned engineer and assisted Robert Stephenson in railway construction.

 

 

 For more details see the British Listed Buildings website

 

History of St Peter's Tower
Booklet compiled by local author Joslin Landell-Mills.
TheTowerHistory.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 4.4 MB