St Peter's Church, Wallsend

Last updated

St Peter's Wallsend
St Peter's Church, Wallsend.jpg
St Peter's Church, Wallsend
54°59′38″N1°31′03″W / 54.9940°N 1.5176°W / 54.9940; -1.5176
LocationChurch Bank, Wallsend
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Anglo-Catholic
History
Founded1809
Dedication St Peter
Administration
Province York
Diocese Newcastle
Archdeaconry Northumberland
Deanery Tynemouth
Parish Wallsend St Peter and St Luke

The Church of St Peter is a Church of England Grade II* listed [1] church located on the east side of Wallsend, North Tyneside. It was constructed to replace Holy Cross Church, which had been built c. 1150 but had fallen into disrepair by the end of the eighteenth century. The building was extensively remodeled in 1892 in the Perpendicular style to give it its present form. The parish church oldest in Wallsend

Contents

History

By the 1790s the local authorities agreed a new church needed to be constructed, since Holy Cross Church, which had served the Wallsend community for centuries, had fallen into disrepair. With the only local church both roofless and unusable, services were instead being conducted in the local schoolroom. Progress was slow, however, with disagreements between Church and local property owners as to who should finance the construction, stalling the project until 1804. The matter was eventually resolved by a solicitor who suggested the money could be raised by means of a tontine. This unusual solution proved popular and ensured the necessary funds became available.

The Nave of St Peter's Church, Wallsend, facing East. St Peter's Nave.jpg
The Nave of St Peter's Church, Wallsend, facing East.

No work was undertaken however until 1806, when it was realised that the schoolroom being used for public worship was neither consecrated nor licensed —meaning that marriages were not legal, the offspring of the unions illegitimate and the perpetual curate subject to serious legal penalties. A Bill was passed in the House of Commons in August 1807 in order to legitimise the marriages and their offspring, and to authorise the construction of a new church. The foundation stone of what would be a Georgian 'preaching box' was laid in November 1807 and the burial ground was consecrated in 1809. [2] Major alterations were made in 1892 to give the church its current form. [3]

It was clear by the 1980s that the Victorian chancel had serious structural problems, and questions were raised with regard to the feasibility of making the necessary repairs. At one point the church was threatened with closure. But during Fr Alan Clements's tenure (1995-2001) substantial grants were secured from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. These enabled the chancel to be given robust foundations and all the attendant repairs to be made. The scheme entailed turning the chancel into a church hall, the Lady Chapel into a sacristy, and the vestries into a kitchen and cloakrooms. In 2001 The parish was amalgamated with that of St Luke, Wallsend into a single parish.

Tradition

In the early years of Fr Armstrong's incumbency (1830-1871) the thinking of the Oxford Movement began to shape the life of the church, albeit strongly resisted initially by some parishioners. He was accused of having 'an exaggerated idea of the priesthood' and 'more zeal for ceremony than for vital religion'—both common accusations against clergy who accepted Tractarian thinking. But his determination over forty years laid the foundations on which his successors would build. The church maintains the tradition of Anglo-Catholicism today.

Stained Glass

One of the most notable features of the church is its collection of vivid stained glass by members of the Tower of Glass movement of the early 20th century.

In 2017, Thomas Denny made and fitted the 'Stella Maris' window in the westernmost window on the south side of the nave. It is a belated thanksgiving for the church's bicentenary in 2009, paid for entirely by fundraising and gifts. It was dedicated on 6 May, the feast of St Eadfrith

Other notable features

The font from Holy Cross Church St Peter's Wallsend Font.jpg
The font from Holy Cross Church

The font originally stood in Holy Cross Church, and would have been use by monks from Jarrow to baptise babies born in Wallsend. At some point after Holy Cross was abandoned the font found its way into Wallsend Burn (the stream which now forms the parish's northern boundary). It was rescued from there at some point in the 1800s and taken to Carville Hall, and eventually given to St Peter's by Mr Wigham Richardson in 1891.

The statue of St Peter St Peter's Wallsend St Peter.jpg
The statue of St Peter

The pipe organ is a Harrison & Harrison instrument of the Thomas Harrison period (1892). [4]

The image of St Peter the Apostle to the north of the High Altar was commissioned by Fr Peter Strange.

Outside is a set of stocks, originally installed to discourage Sabbath-breaking. They are occasionally used for novelty wedding photographs.

Buried in unmarked graves in the churchyard are many victims of mining disasters, with memorial plaques commemorating both the Heaton Main Colliery Disaster of 1815 and the Wallsend Colliery Disaster of 1835. [5] There is also an old chest identified on Antiques Roadshow as Nonsuch Chest from. The 1580s built by immigrants and decorated with copies of plans from the palace Henry v111 built in Surrey it no longer exists but afew chest were known 1in the V & A and one in Southwark Cathedral both in much better condition than ours but at least it was saved from the tip! .

Clergy

The souls of Wallsend were ministered to from an early stage by monks crossing the Tyne from St Paul's, Jarrow, one half of the Benedictine house of Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey. From the Reformation until 1856 the parish priest was a perpetual curate, whereafter he became a titular rector by Orders in Council. The incumbent of the parish created by the amalgamation of Wallsend St Peter and Wallsend St Luke is its rector.

Perpetual Curates

Rectors of Wallsend St Peter

Priests-in-Charge of Wallsend St Peter

 2021       alan Paterson

Rectors of Wallsend St Peter & St Luke

Assistant Curates

Today

The former chancel is used for social gatherings, and can be hired by local groups.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallsend</span> Town in Tyne and Wear, England

Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies 4 miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Margaret's, Westminster</span> 12th-century church in London, England

The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sion College</span> Church of England college in London

Sion College, in London, is an institution founded by royal charter in 1630 as a college, guild of parochial clergy and almshouse, under the 1623 will of Thomas White, vicar of St Dunstan's in the West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin in the Bull Ring</span> Church in Birmingham, England

St Martin in the Bull Ring is a Church of England parish church in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is the original parish church of Birmingham and stands between the Bull Ring Shopping Centre and the markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clontarf parish (Church of Ireland)</span> Parish in Dublin, Ireland

The Parish of St. John the Baptist, the Church of Ireland Parish of Clontarf, Dublin is a religious community located on the north shore of Dublin Bay, bounded by the Parishes of North Strand to the west, Coolock to the north, and Raheny to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Minster</span> Church in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Leeds Minster, or the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architectural and liturgical significance. A church is recorded on the site as early as the 7th century, although the present structure is a Gothic Revival one, designed by Robert Dennis Chantrell and completed in 1841. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and was the Parish Church of Leeds before receiving the honorific title of "Minster" in 2012. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by Historic England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester</span> Church in Cheshire, England

The Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury is an active Anglican parish church situated in the City of Chester, in an area of the city informally known as "The Garden Quarter", a densely populated area, close to the University. The church was built in 1872, but the parish of St. Oswald which it serves is much older, dating back to about 980 AD. One of the earliest references to St. Oswald's can be found in Bradshaw's. The parish registers date back to 1580. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. The church is part of the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. The patrons of the parish are the dean and chapter of Chester Cathedral.

The Deanery of Cadbury represents the Church of England in mid Devon, within the Archdeaconry of Exeter and the Diocese of Exeter. The current rural dean is Matthew Tregenza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Broadwater</span>

St. Mary's Church, Broadwater, is a Church of England parish church in the Worthing Deanery of the Diocese of Chichester. It serves the ecclesiastical parish of Broadwater, West Sussex and is named after St. Mary. St Mary's is one of several sites in this benefice along with Queen Street and St. Stephen's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Coventry</span> Church

Holy Trinity Church, Coventry, is a parish church of the Church of England in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Above the chancel arch is an impressive Doom wall-painting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Nottingham</span> Church in Nottingham, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest parish church of Nottingham, in Nottinghamshire, England. The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest. It is one of only five Grade I listed buildings in the City of Nottingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany (Philadelphia)</span> Church in Pennsylvania, United States

The Church of Saint Luke and The Epiphany is an Episcopal congregation located at 330 South 13th Street between Spruce and Pine Streets in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The church was formed in 1898 as a result of the merger of St. Luke's Church (1839) and The Church of The Epiphany (1834), which consolidated at St. Luke's location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of The Epiphany (Philadelphia)</span> Church in Pennsylvania, United States

The Church of the Epiphany was an Episcopal congregation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1834, it merged with St. Luke's Church in 1898 to form The Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany. Its 1834 Greek Revival building, designed by architect Thomas Ustick Walter and located at 1501-15 Chestnut Street, was demolished in 1902.

A rector is, in an ecclesiastical sense, a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations. In contrast, a vicar is also a cleric but functions as an assistant and representative of an administrative leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Luke's Church, Chelsea</span> Church in London, England

The Parish Church of St Luke, Chelsea, is an Anglican church, on Sydney Street, Chelsea, London SW3, just off the King's Road. Ecclesiastically it is in the Deanery of Chelsea, part of the Diocese of London. It was designed by James Savage in 1819 and is of architectural significance as one of the earliest Gothic Revival churches in London, perhaps the earliest to be a complete new construction. St Luke's is one of the first group of Commissioners' churches, having received a grant of £8,333 towards its construction with money voted by Parliament as a result of the Church Building Act of 1818. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The gardens of St Luke's are Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Luke's Church, Stoke Bardolph</span> Church in Stoke Bardolph, England

St Luke's Church, Stoke Bardolph is a parish church in the Church of England in Stoke Bardolph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Nicholas' Church, Berden</span> Church in Berden, England

St Nicholas' Church is a Grade I listed parish church in the village of Berden, Essex, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary and St Peter's Church, Harlaxton</span> Church in England

St Mary and St Peter's Church is a Grade I listed Church of England parish church dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Peter in Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, England. The church is 2 miles (3 km) south-east from Grantham, and at the eastern edge of the Vale of Belvoir in South Kesteven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Michael the Archangel, Aldershot</span>

The Church of St Michael the Archangel is the parish church for the town of Aldershot in Hampshire. Dating to the 12th century with later additions, there was almost certainly an earlier church on the site. The existing structure is a Grade II listed building and is located beside Manor Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Luke's Church, Wallsend</span> Church in Wallsend, England

The Church of St Luke is a Church of England Grade II* listed church located in the centre of Wallsend, North Tyneside, next to Station Road.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-303394-church-of-st-peter- Retrieved May 2015
  2. ↑ William Richardson, History of the Parish of Wallsend,Northumberland Press, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1923 pp 123-9
  3. ↑ Richardson, History of the Parish of Wallsend p135
  4. ↑ "NPOR [N04117]". National Pipe Organ Register . British Institute of Organ Studies . Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  5. ↑ Richardson, History of the Parish of Wallsend, pp 235-6
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.