St Peter by the Waterfront

The current building dates from the 15th century and was taken over by Cardinal Wolsey to become his College chapel and the parishioners had to either go to the neighbouring St Nicholas or St Mary Quay. 

Wolsey ordered several improvements to St Peter’s but when he fell from grace the parishioners got their church back in 1537.

In 1801 the church experienced an Evangelical Revival under the talented preacher, Revd Edward Griffin, who packed the church to hear him preach and he established one of the first Anglican Sunday Schools in this parish.

In the latter half of the 19th century the church had a lot of restoration work done on it. The south porch was rebuilt having previously served as a coal cellar. In 1877 an ugly gallery which ran the entire length of the south aisle was removed and a new chancel arch was built. The north aisle was extended by two bays eastwards to be level with the east wall.

A new pulpit was installed. The lath and plaster ceiling was removed in the chancel, exposing the old roof which was found to be in excellent condition. In 1879 the church was closed for 9 months. The old box pews were removed, an organ chamber was built in the south side, and the arcade piers were rebuilt and underpinned with brick which was unearthed when the church interior was renovated in 2006. The reredos was added in 1887 and in 1901 the clock was installed in the tower.

Many of these features can now be viewed in the church today which serves a dual purpose of a Heritage Centre and a Concert/rehearsal venue. In the church today you can still see the Victorian pulpit, the reredos, the stone coffin that was unearthed when the vestry was added in 1904, the magnificent tournai marble font, the restored stained glass windows, numerous ledger stones, the Trotman hatchment and the Knapp brass.