St Peter and St Paul's Church, Kettering

St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Kettering
St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Kettering
	St Peter and St Paul’s Church in 2022
	St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Kettering Location within Northamptonshire
	52°23′48.64″N0°43′35.88″W / 52.3968444°N 0.7266333°W
Location	Kettering, Northamptonshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedication	Peter and Paul
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Specifications
Spire height	179 feet (55 metres)
Administration
Diocese	Peterborough
Archdeaconry	Oakham
Deanery	Kettering
Parish	Kettering

Last updated May 11, 2024

St Peter and St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church in Kettering, Northamptonshire.^[3] It is a Grade I listed building.^[1]

History

Little is known of the origins of the church, its first known priest becoming rector in 1219–20. The chancel is in the Early Decorated style of about 1300, the main fabric of the building being mostly Perpendicular, having been rebuilt in the mid 15th century. The crocketed spire reaches a height of 179 feet (55 metres).^[4]

Whether the current building replaced an earlier church on the site is unknown. Two medieval wall paintings, one of two angels with feathered wings, and one of a now faded saint, can still be seen inside the church.^[5]

Parish status

The church is in a joint parish with St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Kettering.

Organ

The organ was rebuilt by Kenneth Canter of Bury St Edmunds in a case of 1892/3 by Arthur Blomfield. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.^[6]

Bells

The peal of 12 bells dates from 2004 and was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London.^[7]

Carvings

The statues of St Peter and St Paul above the North Door were carved by local author and publisher J. L. Carr to replace carvings destroyed in the Reformation.^[8] A service of dedication was held for the carvings on Sunday 7 October 1984.^[9]

Anecdotal Stories

During the war, fighter pilots would look out for the towering spire - higher than anything around, to navigate to the local airbase at Grafton Underwood. With nothing else even close to the height, it was seenas the ideal marker for pilots to aim for.

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References

1 2 Historic England, "Church of St Peter and St Paul (1051642)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 26 September 2017
↑ "St Peter & St Paul, Kettering". A Church Near You. The Church of England. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (1973). The Buildings of England. Northamptonshire. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-071022-9.
↑ Flannery, Julian (2016). Fifty English Steeples: The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England. New York City, New York, United States: Thames and Hudson. pp. 338–343. ISBN 978-0-500-34314-2.
↑ Greenall, R (2008). A History of Kettering. Phillimore & Co Ltd. p. 21. ISBN 1-86077-254-4.
↑ "NPOR [D00850]". National Pipe Organ Register . British Institute of Organ Studies . Retrieved 26 September 2017.
↑ "Kettering, Northants SS Peter & Paul". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers . Dovemaster. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
↑ Byron Rogers (2003) The Last Englishman, The Life of J.L. Carr London: Aurum Press
↑ Kettering Evening Telegraph, Tuesday, 9 October 1984

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[Listing-1] 1 2 Historic England, "Church of St Peter and St Paul (1051642)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 26 September 2017

[2] "St Peter & St Paul, Kettering". A Church Near You. The Church of England. Retrieved 26 September 2017.

[Pevsner-3] Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (1973). The Buildings of England. Northamptonshire. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-071022-9.

[4] Flannery, Julian (2016). Fifty English Steeples: The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England. New York City, New York, United States: Thames and Hudson. pp. 338–343. ISBN 978-0-500-34314-2.

[5] Greenall, R (2008). A History of Kettering. Phillimore & Co Ltd. p. 21. ISBN 1-86077-254-4.

[6] "NPOR [D00850]". National Pipe Organ Register . British Institute of Organ Studies . Retrieved 26 September 2017.

[7] "Kettering, Northants SS Peter & Paul". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers . Dovemaster. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.

[8] Byron Rogers (2003) The Last Englishman, The Life of J.L. Carr London: Aurum Press

[9] Kettering Evening Telegraph, Tuesday, 9 October 1984

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