St Peter's Church

Origins

Dominating the centre of the town, the great church of St Peter’s is one of Sandwich’s three Norman churches. The others are St Clement’s and St Mary’s. The building has been greatly altered over the centuries. When it was first built, just after the Norman Conquest, it was probably cruciform (cross-shaped) in plan, with a large central tower. 

Changes over the centuries 

Market Street has been the centre of Sandwich probably since Norman times. From the 13th century, it was the town’s fish market. Most of the properties lining the street are timber framed with later frontages added in varying architectural styles. One building, that used to be an ironmongery store and is now an estate agent, has some intricately carved figures on its late 19th-century Jacobean-style façade, many representing the ironmongery trade. Credit: Sandwich Guildhall Museum. d20841 The church and nearby Market Street, later the fish market, were the centre of Norman Sandwich. The church was extended in the 12th century and then the church and tower were extensively rebuilt in the 13th century. Further enlargements were made in the 14th century when the aisles were widened. The south aisle was also extended to create a new chapel with a vaulted crypt below. The crypt probably served as a charnel house, used to store the bones of the dead after they had been buried for some time in the crowded churchyard. A north porch was added to the church in the 15th century. 

Spaced along the north aisle are a series of 14th century recessed tombs. These are damaged but one still preserves the effigies of a man and a woman, and two others have richly carved surrounds. Nothing is known for certain about the identity of the individuals buried here, but they may include parishioners who had contributed to the rebuilding of the aisle 

After years of neglect, the church tower collapsed in 1661. No-one was injured but the medieval structure was badly damaged and the south aisle was destroyed. By the 17th century, St Peter’s was the church of the local Flemish community, the ‘Strangers’, which was established in the town during Elizabeth I’s reign. They rebuilt the collapsed tower using buff-yellow bricks made from the local Haven mud (visible in the existing fabric) and capped the tower with a distinctive Flemish-style cupola. 

During the 19th century, many changes and repairs were made. In the church grounds by the West Door, the medieval stone window is a remnant salvaged from nearby St Thomas’s Hospital when it was demolished in 1858. St Peter’s continued as a parish church until 1948, when all three Sandwich churches were united. St Clement’s became the parish church and St Peter’s was closed for regular worship. Although it is no longer used for services, the church remains consecrated and is maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust. The main nave of the church has been designated as a community hub for residents and visitors. The church is open every day from 10am - 3pm for community activities and for visitors to learn about its 900 year history. The tower is also open daily and on a clear day, France is visible from the top. A delightful garden is laid out in the ruins of the old south aisle. 

The Old Court Hall 

In the present-day churchyard, around 25 metres (82 feet) south of St Peter’s, lies the site of the old Court Hall. This was built sometime before 1432 but it was pulled down in the 18th century to allow the churchyard to expand. In the 15th century, the court hall had a council chamber and a storehouse, with a loft above. In 1560, a new council chamber was built above the original one, which was then converted into a treasury. 

The curfew bell 

The medieval practice of ringing the curfew bell (‘Pig Bell’) at 8pm is still carried on from St Peter’s every evening. This bell once announced the time when pigs and geese could be turned out into the streets to eat household rubbish dumped during the day. The 5am Goose Bell warned householders to retrieve their animals before they were impounded, but at the request of local residents, this bell is no longer rung 

People 

Thomas Paine, author of ‘The Rights of Man’ and one of the makers of the American Constitution, was married in St Peter’s. He lived in New Street. The unusual War Memorial was designed by Omar Ramsden and has a fine bronze of St George and the Dragon. It pays tribute to the men of Sandwich who died in both World Wars, Korea and the Falklands. 

Churches Conservation Trust https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/our-churches/st-peters-church-sandwich-kent

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