St Peter's Church is an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church in

Devizes Devizes () is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-cent ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

. It is a

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

building and is on the Bath Road, on the western outskirts of the town. One of four Anglican churches in the town, it is in the Anglican Diocese of Salisbury but under the episcopal care of the

Bishop of Oswestry The Bishop of Oswestry is a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Lichfield who fulfils the role of a provincial episcopal visitor in the Church of England. Since 2023, Paul Thomas has been the Bishop of Oswestry. Background Following the first ...

. The congregation is a member of Devizes Churches Together.

History

St Peter's Church was built when Rev Benjamin Dowding, Vicar of St James's Church, Devizes, decided that the town needed another church that was nearer to the

Kennet and Avon Canal The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of Navigability, navigable river linked by a canal. The name is used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than sol ...

and the industries surrounding it. The foundation stone was laid on 30 June 1865 by Rev Dowding. The construction took from 1865 to 1866 and was by Slater & Carpenter. The church was consecrated on 24 July 1866 by

Walter Kerr Hamilton Walter Kerr Hamilton (16 November 1808 – 1 August 1869) was a Church of England priest, Bishop of Salisbury from 1854 until his death. Biography He was born on 16 November 1808, educated at Eton College, tutored by Thomas Arnold, and then att ...

Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The Episcopal see, see is in the Salisbur ...

. The consecration service was attended by the Royal Wiltshire Militia who marched to the church with the clergy in procession. The south aisle and organ chamber were added between 1884 and 1885 by Weaver & Adye. The first vicar of St Peter's was Rev Harold Grindle. Successive incumbents added to the development of the building and the culture of the parish, notably Canon Frederick Phipps who served for 34 years and introduced the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

style of worship that continues to this day. Another former vicar is Rev Douglas Bryant. He was priest of St Peter's for seven years and did much to increase the church's devotional atmosphere. He eventually became a Canon of

Guildford Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford, commonly known as Guildford Cathedral, is the Anglican cathedral in Guildford, Surrey, England. Richard Onslow, 5th Earl of Onslow, Earl Onslow donated the first of land on which the cathedral ...

. His son, Mark Bryant, was

Bishop of Jarrow The Bishop of Jarrow is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Durham, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the former Anglo Saxon monastery in the town of Jarrow in Tyne ...

. In more recent years, St Peter's has become an active member of both

Forward in Faith Forward in Faith (FiF) is an organisation operating in the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church. It represents a traditionalist strand of Anglo-Catholicism and is characterised by its opposition to the ordination of women to the pri ...

and

The Society (Church of England) The Society may refer to: * The Society (Church of England), an independent association of Church of England clergy and lay people * ''The Society'' (TV series), a 2019 series on Netflix * The Society (ex Danse Society), a gothic rock band * "The ...

, and the PCC have passed Resolutions A, B and C in opposition to the ordination of women as priests.

Stations and icons

St Peter's has a hand-carved, wooden collection of

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

that decorate the walls of the church. It also has a collection of

icons An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, saints, and angels. Although especially ...

, including one of

St Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

and one of

St Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...

, which was given to the church by a former parishioner, Estelle Holloway.

List of incumbents

Organ

The church has a two-manual pipe organ by Griffin and Stroud dating from 1898. A specification of the organ can be found on the

National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

References

External links

St Peter's entry
at Anglican churches database 'A Church Near You.' {{DEFAULTSORT:Devizes, Saint Peter Church of England church buildings in Wiltshire Anglo-Catholic church buildings in Wiltshire Churches completed in 1866 19th-century Church of England church buildings

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

1866 establishments in England Grade II listed churches in Wiltshire Anglo-Catholic churches in England receiving AEO