St Peter's Church describes itself as 'A community of faith, hope and love in the heart of the city'. They run lots of activities for a wide range of ages and interests, including the regular cafe sessions which mum and I used to visit occasionally when we were shopping together in town. These days, they also have a monthly 'Picnic Church' on a Sunday afternoon as well as Ryan's Bar, where people gather to discuss all sorts of topics over a drink.
That's now, but this church also has a long and pretty rich history, dating back around 1,000 years to the reign of Edward the Confessor. The church is listed in the Doomsday book of 1086 and some of the carvings on the pillars are from Norman times. Most of the present building dates back to 1338, but the tower was rebuilt during the reign of King Henry VII (1495 - 1509).
Interestingly, there are two links back to my DRI posts. One is a stained glass window which was made for the chapel of the DRI but is now in St Peter's Church (because the chapel is due for demolition as part of the restructuring of the Derby hospitals). The window depicts life in the hospital, including a picture of Florence Nightingale. It was 'opened' in its new location during October of 2010.
The other link is to the Liversage Trust Almshouses, because the vicar and churchwardens are ex-officio trustees of the Trust; the almshouses being in the parish of St Peter's.
I am really enjoying my tour around Derby. I will make sure I visit the city for real, but the quality of your photographs is such that I suspect I might be a little disappointed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty Church and what a fascinating peek into its lengthy history. We get very excited at our oldest buildings in SA, but they don't date back much further than about 350 years ;)
ReplyDeleteOur old churches are, at best 150 years old, so this is, as always very interesting. I know that my mum, a nurse, would love to see that window.
ReplyDeleteI've just taken a delightful tour around Derby... right here on your blog! Some fine architecture and charming streets. I like stained glass, so I'm pleased to see the old hospital chapel was preserved and a new home was found for it.
ReplyDeleteGood stories in the DRI link. Thanks. I was a Methodist once, fell in love with a young girl from the Church of England; been an Anglican for years. Then met a girl from Denmark. Now I'm Lutheran?
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