St. Peter and Paul (Alconbury)
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The Church of St. Peter and Paul is the Anglican parish church of Alconbury , England . Like many English village churches, it is a mixture of different architectural styles from the 12th to the 19th century. It was built by Henry II. Of Merton Priory in Surrey given that from about 1220 a vicar began. After the separation from the Catholic Church , Henry VIII transferred the right to appoint a vicar and the right to occupy benefices to the head and the chapter of Westminster Abbey , which it still exercises today.
The Church is also used today by the Methodist Church .
location
Alconbury is north of Huntingdon on the A1 . The church is located in the middle of a cemetery on the northern outskirts of Alconbury.
description
Exterior construction
The southern porch was built in 1340 and embellished in the 15th century. Next to the church is a large flat stone with an inscription that is no longer legible. According to tradition, this was once the cover plate of the tomb of Anthonina (d. 1598), the wife of Bishop William Wickham , which used to be in the nave . On the north side of the church there is a second entrance, which was walled up with bricks from the 17th century. The Gothic gargoyles are also remarkable . They symbolize devils who have been thrown out of the church.
tower
The tower originally dates from the 13th century and was restored in 1877. It is crowned by a peak built around 1300. Six bells hang in it . On the oldest there is the inscription “Thomas Norris made me 1673”. In 1876 three of the five bells of that time cracked and were cast over. Due to stability problems, only one bell can currently be rung for worship .
inner space
The dominant style of the interior is Early English . The choir is a fine example of 13th century architecture. The heads that can be found here and throughout the church are likely portraits or caricatures of people from the area. The wooden ceiling from the 15th century with carved keystones , arched and shaped beams and angels with outstretched wings is remarkable . It replaced a raised roof structure .
The nave was built in the 14th century. It consists of a main nave and two side aisles, each separated by four arches. Main and side aisles have wooden ceilings. The dimensions of the earlier raised roof structure can be seen above the triumphal arch . The walls of the ship, like those of the choir, used to be plastered. It is not known when this plaster was removed.
A statue of St. Peter and the frescoes of the four evangelists , the twelve apostles and the twelve patriarchs were destroyed during the Commonwealth of England , as were the medieval altars .
View through the church
View from the altar into the nave
Wooden ceiling over the choir
literature
- Leaflet with a description of the church (available in the church)
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 22 ′ 13.1 ″ N , 0 ° 15 ′ 41.8 ″ W.