St Peter's Church, Wrecclesham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Wrecclesham
View of church from School Hill
St Peter's Church, Wrecclesham Location in Surrey
51°11′53″N 0°49′04″W / 51.1980°N 0.8178°W / 51.1980; -0.8178
OS grid reference	SU8269844977
Location	Wrecclesham, Surrey
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Website	CofEWrecclesham.org.uk
History
Status	Active
Founder(s)	Bishop Charles Sumner
Dedication	Saint Peter
Consecrated	16 July 1840
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	29 December 1972
Architect(s)	James Harding
Administration
Deanery	Farnham
Archdeaconry	Surrey
Diocese	Guildford
Province	Canterbury

St Peter's Church is an active Anglican Parish church in Wrecclesham, a village outside Farnham in Surrey. It is in the deanery of Farnham, the archdeaconry of Surrey and the Diocese of Guildford. The church was consecrated in 1840 and is a Grade II listed building.

History

Church

In 1820 Wrecclesham was seen as a village of not having the best of reputations. The Bishop of Winchester, who lived at the nearby Farnham Castle, after hearing about Wrecclesham, decided to build a church to 'bring the worship of God into the village'. A collection to fund the church was begun and after raising £1000 the building work started. The new church was consecrated on 16 July 1840 by the Bishop of Winchester, Charles Sumner. It was a small building consisting of a chancel, nave and north transept. The first vicar of the parish was Rev. R. D. Buttermer, who has a street in Wrecclesham named after him, Buttermer Close.

Over the next few decades the size of the church steadily increased. In 1861, the church was enlarged with the chancel rebuilt and the south aisle added. In 1876, the nave was rebuilt with the north aisle added.

In 1890, Rev. Charles Keable (d. 1923) became vicar of the parish. He served the parish for 33 years and after his death a street in Wrecclesham was also named after him, Keable Road.

The organ was originally from St James' Church, formerly in east Farnham. It was moved to St Peter's in 1975, when St James' was converted into apartments. A new organ was bought in 1996 to replace that one and was installed in June 2001.

Parish

The attempt to improve the social welfare of the village did not stop at only building the church. Beginning from the church, various other buildings and works were started. In 1860, St. Peter's School was opened. From the school, the Wrecclesham choir was created. The Wrecclesham Institute was made soon afterwards. It is opposite the church on the other side of School Hill. The institute was a licensed establishment that also created many sports and social organisations for the local population and was a founding team of Wrecclesham Cricket Club. Also, the Knights Almshouse was built down the hill from the church, along the Street, Wrecclesham.

The parish hall, which is next door to the church, is named Leverton Hall after Rev. Charles Leverton (d. 1973), and was added in the early 1970s when the village hall was demolished.

Gallery

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  The church hall is to the left of the church

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  North side of the church, as seen from School Hill

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  Entrance from Beale Lane

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  East side of the church

See also

• Wrecclesham