St Peter's Church, Old Woking
St Peter's Church | |
---|---|
St Peter's | |
51°18′06″N 0°32′14″W / 51.30167°N 0.53722°W | |
Location | Woking |
Country | England |
Denomination | Church of England |
Website | St Peter's website |
History | |
Founded | 7th-century (first church) |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Architectural type | Norman, English Gothic |
Administration | |
Province | Canterbury |
Diocese | Guildford |
Parish | St Peter Woking |
Clergy | |
Vicar(s) | Rev'd Jonathan Thomas[1] |
St Peter's Church is situated in Old Woking, Surrey, England. It is recorded in the Domesday Book. It also has the third oldest surviving door in the British Isles. It also has the oldest door in Surrey.[2]
History
The church is a Grade I
Construction and different parts of the building
A
The tower is at the west end of the nave. The base of the tower was built around 1200 to 1220. It is constructed of flint and a sedimentary rock known as puddingstone. The upper part was completed around 1340.[3]
Door
The west door survives from the Norman church. Originally in the west front of the church, it now opens into a porch formed by the base of the tower. It is the oldest door in Surrey and probably the third oldest in the country having been dated by dendrochronology to the reign of Henry I of England. The four oak planks making up the door may have come from a single tree which was over 270 years old when it was felled. Jane Geddes of the University of Aberdeen has identified the door as one of only five picture doors in the country and the ironwork as medieval.[4]
Gallery
The gallery, at the west end of the nave, known as the Zouche Gallery, was constructed during the reign of
Open days
The building has frequent open days on Saturdays throughout the warmer months. It used to be possible to go to the top, which is still possible on certain days. Health and Safety has restricted this though. The open days come with a tour.
See also
References
- ^ "Clergy - Parish of St Peter Woking". Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ "Old Woking: St Peter's Great Oak Door".
- ^ a b c d e f Perry, A. et al.
- ^ Geddes 1999
Sources
- Geddes, J. (1999). Medieval Decorative Ironwork in England, London: Society of Antiquaries of London. ISBN 0-85431-273-0
- Perry, A. et al. St Peter's Church, Old Woking: Historical Guide. Leaflet printed by Woking Borough Council.