St Peter's Church is an inclusive

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

Walworth, London Walworth ( ) is a district of South London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the Old ...

, in the Woolwich Episcopal Area of the

Anglican Diocese of Southwark The Diocese of Southwark ( ) is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was created on 1 May 1905 from part of the ancient ...

. It was built between 1823–25 and was the first church designed by Sir

John Soane Sir John Soane (; né Soan; 10 September 1753 – 20 January 1837) was an English architect who specialised in the Neoclassical architecture, Neo-Classical style. The son of a bricklayer, he rose to the top of his profession, becoming professor ...

, in the wave of the church-building following the

Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. It is the best preserved of Soane's churches.

History

It is a

Commissioners' church A Commissioners' church, also known as a Waterloo church and Million Act church, is an Anglicanism, Anglican church in England or Wales built with money voted by Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament as a result of the (58 Geo. 3. ...

, receiving a grant under the Church Building Act 1818 towards the cost of its construction. The church cost £18,592 (equivalent to £ in ), and the grant from the Church Building Commission amounted to £9,354. The church is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. It resembles two other churches by the same architect — in particular Holy Trinity Church Marylebone — in its use of London stock brickwork with stone dressings, and carries the Soane hallmark of tall arched windows set in recesses. The depressed Ionic front with cornice and balustrade over avoids the architectural problems encountered when a pediment is used. The east end was altered in 1888, and following wartime bomb damage, major reconstruction was carried out in 1953. The interior was re-ordered in 1982. St Peter's has always maintained a catholic tradition of worship, pastoral care and mission within the parish of Walworth, St Peter. The crypt was used as an air raid shelter during WW2: the war-time Rector estimated that between 600 and 900 people sheltered there every night. The building was badly damaged by German bombing on 29 October 1940, when more than 30 of those sheltering in the crypt were killed outright (67 eventually died) and 100 more were injured. The church was restored under the direction of Thomas F. Ford and was re-dedicated by the Bishop of Southwark on 11 July 1953. The organ is a 1949

Harrison & Harrison Harrison & Harrison Ltd is a British company based in Durham that makes and restores pipe organs. It was established in Rochdale in 1861. It is well known for its work on instruments such as King's College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, and t ...

instrument, installed in 2009 by Heritage Pipe Organs, which had previously been located at the chapel at the former location of

Whitelands College Whitelands College is the oldest of the four constituent colleges of the University of Roehampton. History Whitelands College is one of the oldest higher education institutions in England (predating every university except University of Oxford, ...

in Putney. The previous organ was an 1824 Henry Cephas Lincoln instrument, which survived the war-time bomb damage and was restored in 1953 by

Mander Organs N.P Mander Limited later Mander Organs Limited was an England, English pipe organ maker and refurbisher based in London. Although well known for many years in the organ building industry, they achieved wider notability in 2004 with the refurbi ...

. 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 ...

does not record that organ's present whereabouts. There is a ring of eight bells, all cast in 1971 at the

Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...

. The churchyard closed to burials in 1853. In 1895 the philanthropic Rector, Canon John Horsley (Mayor of Southwark in 1910), arranged for it to be converted to a public garden at the cost of the Goldsmiths' Company. The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association laid it out with grass and seats.

Present day

Today, St Peter's thrives as an Anglican parish church serving the community of East Walworth. St Peter's also enjoys close links with St Peter's CofE Primary School and nursery, where the Rector is Chair of Governors. The joyful Parish Mass is at 10.30am on Sundays. In 2022, Southwark Council completed the pedestrianisation of Liverpool Grove to the front of the church.

Restoration

The crypt was redeveloped by the church recently and is now home t
Trampoline CIC
( a social enterprise that promotes and supports community entrepreneurship) and als
Saint Louie Bakery and Cafe
(who also manage th
hire of the hall and a meeting room
for private and public use such as performances, parties, conferences, agms & workshops). HMDW Architects designed the project, and are the quinquennial architects for the building. The main worship space was restored, including work to the

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

, and the installation of a new lighting scheme.

Gallery

File:St Peter's Crypt Hall.jpg, Crypt Hall directly below the Nave File:St Peter's Cafe.jpg, Cafe in the crypt File:STL chiars & tables.jpg, The Hall

References

External links

St Peter's features as a case study on the Churchcare website

St Peters Church Website

St Peter's information on ''A Church Near You'' website

InSpire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Peter's Church, Walworth Religious organizations established in 1825 Churches completed in 1825 19th-century Church of England church buildings

Walworth Walworth ( ) is a district of South London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the ...

Grade I listed churches in London