St Peter's Church, Petersfield

The ancient church, a Grade I listed building,[1] is located in the centre of the town, on the south side of the Square.

The architect Nikolaus Pevsner described it as "one of the most interesting churches in Hampshire",[2] A chapel of ease was originally built, and called 'St.

Peter's in-the-veld' (veld - meaning an open and clear place), within the manor of West Mapledurham (later Buriton).

St Peter's was originally a Norman building; the north and south aisles were added at the end of the 12th century.

During the 15th century, several windows with perpendicular tracery were inserted[3] In 1873, a major restoration took place under the architect Sir Arthur Blomfield.

In the north wall is a late twelfth-century round-headed light, now blocked by the vestry roof, with inner jamb-shafts continued as a roll round the head of the window, unbroken except for a fillet on the springing-line of the arch.

The columns are circular, as are the capitals of the north arcade, but those of the south are square, with recessed angles, being of somewhat earlier type than the others.

The side walls on the ground stage are solid, but in the east wall is a wide semicircular arch of two square orders, dating from the first half of the 12th Century, with hollow-chamfered abaci like those of the chancel arch; and over it a plain roundheaded opening from the second stage of the tower, which must have given access to the roof of the early nave, as just above it is a gabled weathering.

There is a stained glass window to Bishop Samuel Wilberforce and another to Mary Sumner, founder of the Mothers' Union.

in the west bay of the north aisle are two brass plates, one with an inscription to Anne Holt, 1655, the other to Dr. Thomas Aylwin, 1704, and his wife Mary, 1693.

The churchwardens' accounts mention the making of steps, a wall, and a gate on the east side of the churchyard opposite New Street (now St. Peter's Road) in 1754.

[10] In 1918 his son was killed leading men of the Royal Hampshire Regiment in an attack at Pacaud Wood, Bethune.

[12] He served curacies in Leatherhead and Godalming, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Leonard Hedley Burrows, later the first Bishop of Sheffield.

[20] Granger (1922-2005) was educated at Selwyn College, Cambridge; started his ecclesiastical career at St Mary's, Portsea; and held two incumbencies in the Isle of Wight before his years at Petersfield.