A Brief History of the Building

A Brief History of the Building

It is fairly certain that the first church on this site was built before Petersfield became established as a town. It may have been founded by Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. She owned the Manor of Mapledurham (or Mapledresham) for some years but died shortly before the Domesday survey of 1086. Petersfield was part of this manor, although not mentioned in the Domesday Book.

The church has also been associated with Bishop Walkelyn of Winchester, a cousin of William. At this time part of the manor was isolated from the parish church at Mapledurham by swamps and marshes so a church, a chapel of ease, was built and called St Peter's in-the-veld (veld meaning an open and clear place) situated on a gravel ridge between two streams in the north of the manor. The Causeway, the road to Portsmouth until the opening of the bypass, led across the boggy ground to the parish church at Mapledurham, now called Buriton. In an ancient charter of William, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of the Manor, patronage of the Church of Mapledurham together with the Chapel of Petersfield was granted to the Nuns of Eaton (Nuneaton). Pope Alexander III (1159-84) in his confirmation of this gift, calls them the "Church of Petersford with the Chapel of Mapledresham", an interesting (but erroneous) reversal which suggests that the growth of the town and church must by then already have outstripped the mother church at Buriton.

However, St Peter's remained a chapelry to Buriton until 1886, when it became a separate parish. Since 1984 the two parishes have been held in plurality, so the Vicar of Petersfield is now also Rector of Buriton.

The original plan of St Peter's Church is believed to have been cruciform with a central lantern tower, and the present chancel arch would have formed the east wall of this tower.

Towards the end of the twelfth century a second period of building added the north and south aisles, taking the walls out to the north and south ends of the transepts and building a west tower to replace the central one. It is enclosed by the north and south aisles. The original walls were replaced by arcades of four bays. As can be seen from the shape of the pillar capitals, the two aisles were probably built at different times and it is possible that the roof heights were also different. The north and south doorways are original. The west doorway has been largely reconstructed but some original stones have been left in place. These show that the style and ornament were similar to the great chancel arch within.

It is not known whether the central tower was ever completed or if it fell down or was taken down when the church was enlarged at the end of the twelfth century. It is not likely that the church ever had two towers. The original masonry and the transept walls can be seen outside on the north and south wall, where the earlier courses of herringbone masonry distinguish it from the later stone courses of the aisles.

The tower was raised to its present height during the 14th century and a parapet added. The present parapet replaced the first which had become unsafe from weathering.

During the 15th century, windows with perpendicular tracery were inserted in the wall of the north aisle, in the east wall of the chancel and in the south aisle.

A major restoration occurred in 1873 under the architect Sir Arthur Blomfield. There are very few records of this rebuilding but it is interesting to note that Blomfield appears completely to have dismantled and rebuilt most of the nave and the south aisle wall in, as five of the pillars and much of the south wall are built on Victorian brick bases. Most of the chancel was also rebuilt so it seems likely that only the Norman arch and some of the tower and north wall were left standing during this restoration. The large 15th century east window and another at the east end of the south aisle were restored to their original Norman form with the insertion of small round-headed windows.

The interior of the building was made much lighter and more spacious in aspect by adding a clerestory to the nave, raising the roof and giving it the splendid timber trusses it now has. The apex of the old roof gable can still be seen over the west arch above the font. The side aisles were roofed in the manner of the 15th century.

Many memorials which were on the walls in spaces above the nave arcades were moved to the west end of the building. At the same time a sacristy and organ chamber were added on the north side of the chancel, replacing the Jollife family gallery (see above) which had its own private entrance to the church. In 1887 the north porch was added as a memorial. The stained glass in the church was installed during the 19th and 20th centuries. The fifteenth century font was removed from its position at the east end of the nave (see above) and replaced by a modern one at the west end.

In 1946, the fifteenth century font was rescued from the churchyard, where it had been left for seventy years, and replaced at the east end. The timber ceiling of the south aisle was restored after fire damage in 1962.

In October 1998, the Church was closed for a year while a major project, the St Peter's 2000 Project, was carried out to restore and re-order the building. This project was the largest since the Blomfield re-building of 1873.

The re-ordering of St Peter's had been under discussion for twenty years or more. However, the scheme was very much the brainchild of the then Vicar, Chris Lowson. His thoughts were crystallised by the parish architect, Paul Velluet, during the latter part of 1993.

The scheme eventually adopted included the following:

• Replacing the existing floor with Portland stone paving

• Upgrading the heating system

• Screening off the three areas at the west end of the Church

• Installing a servery and lavatories at ground floor level in the south west corner with a storage area on a mezzanine floor above

• Converting the area below the tower to a permanent chapel and moving the font forward

• Screening off the area behind the organ from the chancel and forming a new choir vestry

• Replacing the existing podium with a new and smaller stone one and commissioning a  new altar and other furniture

• Removing all pews and replacing with chairs

• Installing a new sound reinforcement and lighting installation

• Re-decorating and re-wiring the whole building

Peter Harrison, of the Harrison Young Partnership in Emsworth, who had the added advantage of living in Petersfield, was appointed Project Architect and the building contract was awarded to F W German and Sons of Alton on the 5th February 1999.

The contractors started work in the church on the 8th February 1999.

It soon became evident that there were a considerable number of tombs in all parts of the church but that these were about two feet below the pre-1873 restoration floor level.

The remains of a few coffins were found in the nave, under the tower and in the chancel. Two in the nave were identified, one being that of Thomas Chitty (1838) and the other that of Ann Blunt (1841), mentioned on plaques in the north west corner.

It is probable that Ann Blunt was the last person to be buried inside the Church.

There was evidence of some vaults beneath the chancel and choir vestry and it appeared that these were pre-Blomfield, as the tops had been taken off when the Victorian floor was laid.

A considerable quantity of loose bones had been left by the Victorians in the rubble they created when breaking up the old floor. These bones were collected and re-buried in empty vaults found in the north east and north west corners.

The church was re-dedicated by the Bishop of Portsmouth on Friday 1st October 1999 in the presence of a large congregation which included many of those who had worked on the project, together with representatives of the major donors and civic leaders.

Floodlighting

The floodlighting installation was funded by a major grant from the Churches Floodlighting Trust, with other grants from Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council and Petersfield Town Council. Generous donations were also made by local businesses and other local organisations. The scheme was designed by David Prothero of Electrical Supplies and Projects Ltd and the installation was inaugurated after the rededication of St Peter's on the 1st October by Michael Mates MP.

A TOUR OF THE INTERIOR (see numbered plan)

Starting at the font (15th century) (1) the view down the nave is of the great 12th century chancel arch (2 - also see picture) with triple arches and a further single arch above. The three windows above the arch represents Christ in Majesty (centre), the Good Shepherd (left) and the Light of the World (right). This last is very similar to Holman Hunt's famous painting of 1856. The English oak altar, ambo and president's and minister's chairs on the dais beneath the arch (3) were designed by Paul Velluet and made by F W German and Sons in 1999.

The oak chairs in the body of the church were made by Tim Wade and Robo Simiko and most of the chairs were donated.

In the north east corner is the organ (5), installed in 1992 by Lammermuir Pipe Organs. It has two manuals, with manual tracker key action, and 21 speaking stops. A separate booklet describing the organ is available. The new choir stalls were also designed by Paul Velluet and made by F W German and Sons.

The chancel may have been the earliest church on this site. It has thinner walls and is slightly out of line with the nave. The window in the north wall, now filled in by a memorial (6), is probably very early Norman and possibly even late Saxon. It seems to have been used by Blomfield as a model for the east window (7). The glazed tiles on the walls of the sanctuary are from Newick in Sussex where the only others of their kind can be seen. The floor is paved with Minton's encaustic tiles. The reredos of Christ in Majesty is by Powell (1903) and the altar is by Edward Barnsley.

On the south wall is the 1914-18 War Memorial (8) and on the north wall, backing onto the choir vestry, is the large oil painting by Gunning King (9) depicting the call of St Peter. This was painted in 1933 and local people were used as models. One row of the Victorian oak choir stalls has been retained on each side of the chancel.

The Victorian pulpit, now in the south east corner, is of English oak, the work of S C Parmenter of Braintree Essex (1888).

Also in the south-east corner is a 13th century piscina (10) for holy water, indicating the presence of a chapel altar in the original transept. Another piscina (11) further down the south wall implies another altar against the wall of the transept. The triple window (12) in the east wall of the south aisle is a memorial to Mary Sumner, wife of the Rector at the time and sister-in-law to the Mary Sumner who founded the Mother's Union. Mid-way along the south wall is a Norman window, with glass (1880) depicting Christ as the Sower, by Helmle and Merzweiler of Freiburg, Germany. Blomfield seems to have used this window as a model for the one at the east end of this aisle.

Nearer the west end of the south wall is a window of St. Peter, dated 1964, by Harold Thomson, until his death a member of the congregation. The resin bronze figure group by local sculptress Ferelyth Wills symbolises Psalm 139 v7. These last two features form a memorial to the Rev Victor Wardle, assistant. Priest of this parish 1931-34, who died in internment while serving as Chaplain to the Missions to Seamen in Singapore.

Looking west from the chancel arch, the arcade arches of the nave can be seen at their best as well as the powerful but undecorated west arch (see picture) and the old roof line. The window allows the bellringers to see into the body of the church. The English oak and glass screen behind the arch encloses the Lady Chapel (13) which was consecrated on the 1st October 1999 by the Bishop of Portsmouth. The oak seating in the chapel and the west end lobby with double doors were also designed by Paul Velluet and made by F W German and Sons. The chapel altar table is by Edward Barnsley.

The fine memorial tablets (14) in the Lady Chapel are mainly dedicated to the Jolliffe family in 18th and 19th century. The Jolliffes came from Leek in Staffordshire, having made a fortune in industry. By buying property in Petersfield they became Lords of the Manor, landed gentry and Members of Parliament.

The tower contains a peal of eight bells installed from 1746 to 1895. The Tenor weighs 15cwt and the Treble about 4cwt. The total weight is about 3 tons. The clock, which chimes on the same bells, was installed in 1856 and electric winding was incorporated in 1970. A filled in doorway can be seen in the south western corner of the Lady Chapel which originally gave access to the belfry stairs.

At the west end of the south aisle, an oak and glass screen encloses a servery (15), WCs and a storage area on a mezzanine floor. In the corridor to the right of the servery are memorials to the Patrick family (16).

A further oak and glass screen forms a meeting room (17) at the west end of the north aisle and there are more memorials on the south wall of this room.

The three west end screens were designed by Peter Harrison and were built and installed by F W German and Sons in 1999.

This twelfth century church is unusual in that it has no memorials to crusaders, lords of the manor, knights or famous men through the centuries. There are no memorials of the Medieval or Tudor periods in the building because there were no resident lords of the manor in those times and St. Peter's was not a parish church.

There is one tombstone, of unknown origin, in the south west corner of the meeting room which is so small that it must be a child's sarcophagus. It probably lay outside the church before the construction of the aisles in the 12th century. It may be evidence of Saxon remains on this site before the present church was built. There is a further larger tombstone in the corridor leading to the WCs.

In the churchyard one headstone has been left standing, near the north entrance, on the right as you come in. It is a memorial to an ordinary man who won fame - as many otherwise ordinary men do to this day - in sport. It is to John Small (1731-1826), in his day the best batsman of the Hambledon Cricket Club, who could take on and beat the Rest of England. He was a shoemaker and saddler in Petersfield, who also made cricket bats and balls.

His epitaph reads:

'Praises on tombs are trifles vainly spent, a man's good name is his own monument'.

We very much hope that you have enjoyed your visit to St Peter's. Copies of our parish magazine The Rock and postcards are available by request.

This account was originally written by Eric Leaton and was up-dated by the Communications Committee of the PCC in December 1999. It is based on many earlier works including:

• An article in the Petersfield Area Historical Society's Bulletin Vol.3 No.9 Jan 1990, by Edward Grainger.

• A previous guidebook (1981) by Edward Grainger, which was based upon

• Notes, written in 1972, by the Rev Kenneth Wills, Assistant Curate at the time, who expanded those dated 1968 formerly available in the church.

Acknowledgements and thanks are also made to:
Rodney Hubbock, in particular for helpful information on the early windows and the 19th century work, and the Petersfield Area Historical Society for permission to quote from their publication.

Bibliography

• The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight,  Nicolaus Pevsner and David Lloyd, Penguin 1967

• The History of Petersfield, Rev J Williams 1857

• Petersfield in Tudor Times, EM Yates 1979  Victorian County History of Hampshire, Vol. 5 1912

• St Peter's Petersfield, a short architectural history, Daniel Forshaw 1994

© COPYRIGHT December 1999
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission obtained from St Peter's Parish Office, Church Path, The Square, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3HS. Telephone: (01730) 260213.