St Peter's Church, Derby
| St Peter's in the City | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 52°55′12″N 1°28′33″W / 52.920°N 1.4757°WCoordinates: 52°55′12″N 1°28′33″W / 52.920°N 1.4757°W | |
| Location | Derby, Derbyshire |
| Country |
 England
|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://www.stpetersderby.org.uk |
| History | |
| Founded | circa 1045 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Norman |
| Years built | circa 1050 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Derby St Peter's |
| Diocese | Derby |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Rev Canon Paul Morris |
| Priest(s) | Rev Anita Matthews |
St Peter's in the City is a Church of England parish church in the city of Derby, UK. It is one of Derby's city centre churches which is in full use for worship. The church building dates from the 11th century. The tower has a peal of eight bells, which are rung before the Sunday morning services.
The church and its boundary walls were awarded Grade II* listed status in 1952.
First recorded around the reign of Edward the Confessor, around 1042 onwards, the church is recorded, along with three other churches in Derby, in the Domesday Book of 1086.
In 1137 the church came under the jurisdiction of the Abbots of nearby Darley Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries. Rebuilding in 1338 instigated by the first curate, John de Crich, saw the south aisle and Chantry added. Although significantly rebuilt around 1350 in the decorated style the church retains Norman features at the eastern end of the church on the east wall of the nave and the arcade responds. Five light windows survive in the south and north aisles from the 14th century. The church is the only medieval church remaining in the city centre.
The original steeply-pitched roof was lowered in 1509, the walls over the nave arcades raised and clerestory windows inserted. The chancel arch was widened and the east end was shortened by a bay and a new east window installed. The tower was also rebuilt at this time. The bells, a familiar sound to Derbians, were cast and hung around 1636 and are still in regular use, one having never needed recasting.
The late 18th century saw galleries added to the nave but, in 1852 the chancel was restored and the pews, along with the impropriator's (lay rector's, see Chancel repair liability) gallery removed. Plaster was also removed and old roof timbers exposed. In the same decade the chancel and aisles were again restored and the large galleries at the west end of the nave removed. 1865 saw the south porch removed, the organ chamber made at the east end of the north aisle. In 1898, the west end of church and tower rebuilt were entirely rebuilt with great sympathy for the existing ancient east end of the church. In 1970, the present church and parish rooms, including meeting rooms, coffee rooms, office, kitchen and toilet facilities were added to the west end below the tower.
The Black Death visited Derby in 1349; a third of the population died, including sixty clergy, one of whom was the vicar of St Peter's.
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