Did you know that the St Peter’s Church we can all see in the village today is celebrating a birthday this month? It’s 130 years ago this month since work started to rebuild it.
In 1884, a decision was made to replace the building after it was described as “an unsightly structure in a very decayed state and inadequate to the parish”. The spire was retained and works undertaken around it.
To enable the works to go ahead, £12,000 was raised from local donations, including generous contributions from the Paget and Philo families.
The Foundation Stone for the new church was laid by Anne and Lucy Paget on 1 June 1887, and Philo Mills apparently placed a time capsule within the foundations.
Our “new” parish church was subsequently dedicated in November 1888.
Barbara Breakwell