TIMELINE
About St Peter's Church
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St Peter's Church, Whitstable is in the Whitstable Team Ministry of the Church of England (Canterbury Diocese). It is one of the five churches in the Whitstable team, meaning the six churches which make up the Church of England's presence in Whitstable.
St Peter's is a friendly church in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Our main Sung Eucharist takes place at 10.45am every Sunday. Evensong, Benediction, or Stations of the Cross follow at 6.30pm, depending on the time of year. Every Tuesday at 10am there is a simple eucharist followed by refreshments, open to everyone. We do hope to see you shortly! |
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Background to the 100th anniversary of the Consecration
of St Peter’s Church on 15th June 2025
Beginnings
As new houses began to be built near Whitstable Harbour, the Parish of All Saints, Whitstable decided to start a mission in the area to be dedicated to St Peter.
As a temporary measure, the Temperance Hotel and attached storehouse at the corner of Bexley Street and Woodlawn Street, were secured for £180. The upper room of the store was to be used for services and would hold about 200 people. The lower hall would be for a Sunday School and perhaps a Day School for up to 100 children. The main house would be the Vicarage. On Wednesday 29th June 1870, St Peter’s Day, the Mission Church was opened. Many gifts were presented to the new church by a wide range of individuals and groups from the town.
As a temporary measure, the Temperance Hotel and attached storehouse at the corner of Bexley Street and Woodlawn Street, were secured for £180. The upper room of the store was to be used for services and would hold about 200 people. The lower hall would be for a Sunday School and perhaps a Day School for up to 100 children. The main house would be the Vicarage. On Wednesday 29th June 1870, St Peter’s Day, the Mission Church was opened. Many gifts were presented to the new church by a wide range of individuals and groups from the town.
Schools started
51 children were entered in the books on Sunday March 26th 1871. Half this number could not read, did not know the Lord’s Prayer or Commandments, and had never been taught the Catechism. The schools had 110 Sunday and 170 weekday scholars varying in age from three to fourteen. A night school was opened during the winter months for men and boys at a charge of 1d per evening. By all accounts over the next thirty years the mission flourished.
Moves towards a Permanent Church
So far, the pastoral work in St Peter’s district had been the responsibility of a curate of All Saints. A new Vicar, Fr Theodosius, arrived at All Saints and In December 1898, he called a meeting held in the Foresters’ Hall (now the Whitstable Museum in the High Street) to consider what steps should be taken to provide the long-needed permanent church building of St Peter. £680 was pledged meaning that land could be acquired at the corner of Sydenham Street and St Peter’s Road, and a church could be erected, albeit constructed of corrugated iron.
The noted architect G.H.Fellowes Prynne was commissioned to draw up plans for the church. He completed this in 1901. In 1902 the foundation stone at the East end of the church was laid and building began. The sanctuary, choir and transepts were built and attached to the iron nave. In 1904 the Lady Chapel to the south of the choir was built and the money ran out.
The noted architect G.H.Fellowes Prynne was commissioned to draw up plans for the church. He completed this in 1901. In 1902 the foundation stone at the East end of the church was laid and building began. The sanctuary, choir and transepts were built and attached to the iron nave. In 1904 the Lady Chapel to the south of the choir was built and the money ran out.
The Church Completed
By 1924 enough money had been raised to built the nave. On 5th August that year, Edith Davidson, the wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury laid the foundation stone at the west end of the nave. Building continued around the iron nave which was removed just before the south west bay of the nave was finished. On Thursday 4th June 1925, the Thursday before Trinity Sunday, Dr Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury came to consecrate St Peter’s completed Church.
The 100th anniversary of this event we celebrate on Trinity Sunday, 15th June 2025 when the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin will preside and preach at our 10.25 Sung Eucharist.
The 100th anniversary of this event we celebrate on Trinity Sunday, 15th June 2025 when the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin will preside and preach at our 10.25 Sung Eucharist.
Later Developments
In 1936 the southwest porch was built to commemorate the 1935 events of the Silver Jubilee of King George V and the creation of St Peter’s as a parish independent of All Saints. In 1902 All Saints Parish built a Parish Hall in Cromwell Road, In 1937, St Peter’s brought this for £500 creating St Peter’s Church House which still serve the local community. In August 1974 Whitstable Team Ministry was formed comprising the ancient parishes of Swalecliffe, Whitstable and Seasalter and St Peter’s Parish. The worship and mission of St Peter’s continues with the companionship of the other churches of Whitstable Parish.
At St Peter's
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About this website
This website is to present the times of services at St Peters' and to provide information on the church and the people who serve within the ministry at St Peter's. There is also information on baptism and weddings.
If people contact us via email we do not hold onto their email address unless explicitly requested, and contact details of any of our members are not passed on to any third party. For our website policies see Privacy Notice below in the footer.
If people contact us via email we do not hold onto their email address unless explicitly requested, and contact details of any of our members are not passed on to any third party. For our website policies see Privacy Notice below in the footer.
