Services in St Peter's Church can be found by clickinh
here
Interior
of St Peters Church, Palgrave
In 2004 Pamela Chrispin with help from Hugh
Bunbury, Mark Hollowday, Revds. Chris and Rob Axford and Simon
Knott. Wrote the following information sheet for visitors to St
Peters Church, Palgrave.
Visiting St Peter’s Church, Palgrave
History and Meaning
The word ‘church’ means a body of believers, but it also means the
physical building within which Christians worship. This church is
not just a museum or a work of art which reflects the concerns of
our local rural community. It is a very beautiful, peaceful and
holy space. Churches contain powerful messages about what
Christians believe, and spiritual power is the essence of this
church.
Churches are usually dedicated to a saint. Our
patron saint is St Peter, although he doesn’t actually appear very
often here! We know quite a lot about Peter. He is easily
recognisable because he is usually depicted with a square face,
round beard and a bald head. His symbols are keys, for the keys of
heaven – remember he’s the one at the pearly gates, although we’re
not sure why TWO keys! [Matthew 16:18]
He is also represented by a bishop’s mitre
because Peter is considered as the first Bishop of Rome. Sometimes
you may also see an inverted cross - Peter asked to be crucified
upside down as he was not worthy to be crucified in the same way as
Jesus - a rock, a fish or a cockerel (check out the Bible!). Peter,
the leader of Jesus’ twelve disciples, was both strong and
headstrong. He and his brother Andrew were fisherman and we know
that he was married, because he had a mother-in-law!
Churches are often in the shape of the cross on
which Christ died, but ours is a traditional Saxon shape with a
nave and no transept, and a Victorian north aisle. The chancel arch
leads from the body of the church up to the sanctuary where the
altar is. All members of the congregation are invited to approach
the Lord’s Table and share in the meal or receive a
blessing.
Palgrave had two churches described in the
Domesday Book: probably a chapel at St John’s to the west of the
parish and a Saxon church on this site. This was probably wooden at
that time as the oldest part of St Peter’s are early 14th century
(the Tower and Chancel arch). The first Rector, Petris de
Pakefield, was appointed in 1316 and all the Rectors are recorded
on a board near the north door.
Like most churches, ours faces east. It is built
on high ground - probably on the site of a previous pagan religious
site. The rising sun was important prior to Christianity and the
‘Adopt, Adapt, Improve’ strategy was used to incorporate pagan
rites into English Christian worship. For instance, the yew trees
in a churchyard were sacred even before the first
Millennium.
Often yew trees in a churchyard are older than
the church – they can predate Christ’s birth, although none of the
trees at St Peter’s are that old. Marriages were conducted under
these wise and knowledgeable trees, and ‘Treow’ - the root of the
word ‘tree’ - gives us both ‘truth’ and ‘troth’. Yews were sacred
to our ancestors and wisely incorporated into the new religion,
especially as they keep cattle out – a classic example of British
pragmatism!
We have no lych-gate here but the priest
conducting a funeral would still have met the corpse (‘lic’ in Old
English) at the gate, probably initially to fulfil legal
requirements then later as a mark of respect.
The church is built of knapped flint, the tower
is un-buttressed with ashlar quoining, probably 1290-1360. The
tower does seem to be built of a collection of odd stones, possibly
collected locally. The windows are in late 14th century style,
although quite varied. The entrance is on the favoured south side,
rather than the cold north side. Note the decoration around the
door. Carvings include St George (or more likely St Michael) and
the Dragon, two small lions and intricate and rather more local and
personal carvings on the door frame. There is even a ‘Green Man’
carved into the surround, with his tongue sticking out in the
traditional manner!
Church porches were the forerunner of village
halls and had various functions including meeting room, schoolroom
and courtroom. Ours has some pretty old benches. There was
originally an upper floor and room above the porch, called the
Parvis Chamber. The window and stairs up to it can still be seen.
It may have been used as a schoolroom or storeroom for parish
records. Marriages would have been conducted in the church porch
before the happy couple were allowed to enter the main church for
the nuptial mass. Cut down on the guest list, anyway. There are two
figures guarding the inner door – perhaps King Edmund (good
moustache!) and his Queen, or perhaps local worthies.
During medieval times, churches were brightly
coloured and stuffed with statues, pictures and imagery which
reflected the lives of the parishioners. From the heraldic devices
that remain, the empty plinths outside the porch probably contained
statues of St Peter, St Edmund and Christ before they were removed
or destroyed. There were two great periods of destruction of the
ancient Saxon and medieval icons. During the Reformation the parish
churches (then of course all Roman Catholic) were stripped of their
treasures and became simpler and plainer. In Cromwell’s time this
process was repeated even more enthusiastically. Surprisingly, our
font has intact noses on three of the four faces at the corners,
probably the Gospel writers Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, but
possibly the four Latin doctors: Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome and
Gregory. The font seems older than the church and has a limestone
bowl. One theory about why the font is so eroded is that it may
have been second-hand, or it may have been kept outside during the
Reformation. The crosses are of a Saxon or Celtic design although
the font is 11th or 12th century and therefore Norman.
The font is usually found at the back of the
church near the entrance. Baptism is a cleansing and presentation
sacrament which symbolises an entrance into the Church and the
start of a journey of faith. Font covers have been compulsory since
1236, reputedly to prevent theft of Holy Water for use in magic,
but more likely to prevent contamination. Good to see our
churchwardens complying – note where there must have once been a
hefty lock!
Before you go further, look up! There is a
magnificent single hammerbeam roof which still has the original
tracery and medieval painting, including Marian monograms and star
patterning. No-one knows why it hasn’t faded like nearly all other
such roofs. The beam ends probably had angels or saints originally
– possibly removed to save Cromwell’s supporters the bother of
going up there and desecrating the rest of it. Churches sometimes
put in false roofs during that time to cover the real roof, but the
angels had to be lopped off to allow the false roof to be suspended
on the beams. A lower ceiling also kept the heat in!
There are many corbels nestling at the base of
the beams – both people and animals. Local craftsmen could really
vent their imagination on these figures. They are not gargoyles
like the ones outside as they don’t ‘gargle’ rainwater.
This little chap is hidden behind the organ and
was revealed for the first time in a century during the
refurbishment of 2004 but to our disappointment he does not seem to
be very interesting! The Royal Arms on the Tower arch is Victorian,
and there is a Benefactors board nearby, recording the people who
gave money towards the 1861 improvements.
The tower contains 8 bells which are hung for
full circle ringing in a traditional English way. This is a rare
treasure for a small tower. In 1553 there were 3 bells but these
were replaced by 6 in 1737, and augmented to 8 in 1908 with a new
frame built in the yard of George Day in Eye. They weigh between 3
and 7 cwt. The bells were fully refurbished in 1997, including new
steel beams to save further stresses on the ancient timbers, and
now ring very easily. The church clock has an electric mechanism
and strikes on the hour by means of a separate hammer on the tenor
bell.
The organ was built between 1907 and 1908 by the
London firm of JW Walker and Sons, holders of the Royal Warrant.
Our organ would have cost about £100,000 at 2004 prices! St Peter’s
organ is a superb example of the small, beautifully crafted organs
of the period which are simple and easy to play, with a small
number of stops. However the original quality of the workmanship
means that this organ will survive for centuries more whilst
continuing to provide an outrageous quality of sound and the
effects of an organ over twice its size. It was refurbished in 2004
thanks to the generosity of the village. The organ plays a vital
role in the musical expression of the liturgy and its central
situation in St Peter’s is important – come and hear the way it
sounds at a wedding, or at Christmas.
The nave was built later than the tower and is
14th century apart from the north aisle which was completed in
1861.
Originally, there were no pews in churches. The
early congregation had to stand – apart from the sick and old who
were allowed to lean against the wall (hence ‘weakest to the
wall’). Pews were usually installed along with pulpits around the
15th century, and our pews were replaced during the Victorian era,
probably as a way of encouraging people to go to church more often!
Some of the pews at the front have been removed to allow more
space, which is greatly appreciated during school and family
services.
On the north wall there is a painted triptych of
the 10 commandments. These were given to Moses by God on Mount
Sinai and used by Jesus in his teaching. The triptych was painted
by Robert Rolfe who renovated the church in the 1960s. The only
stained glass on the north side is the memorial to the Harrison
family in the Sunday Club corner.
Our lectern stands on the left in common with
most churches. It is relatively plain but the large Bible was
presented in 1959 by friends of George Clarke, a former
churchwarden who sang in St Peter’s choir for 50 years! The letters
‘IHS’ appear on the lectern, and IHS or IHC (together known as the
Chismon) appear many times in the church and reflect the Greek
spelling of ‘Jesus’, although other interpretations are
common.
Approaching the sanctuary, the Chancel is as old
as the tower and is early 14th century. The two stone structures
may have been connected by a wooden building until the present nave
was built. Even today the congregation is responsible for the
upkeep of the nave, whereas the holder of the living (usually the
Rector) is responsible for the chancel and sanctuary. The choir
stalls have carved ends which are all plants found locally
including holly, oak, corn and ivy. Holly, ivy and laurel are often
represented in churches because they do not wilt or fade when cut –
they remind us of God’s promise of everlasting life. The ivy motif
is repeated around the altar rail.
The altar table is the place where the Eucharist
(Lords Supper, Mass. Holy Communion) is celebrated. The bread and
wine consecrated during the Eucharist represents the body and blood
of Jesus, which He gave so that we may be saved from our sin. The
altar reminds us of Jesus’ great sacrifice, but it is also the
place where Christians come to share a meal together. Work done in
1987 revealed graves beneath the Holy Table, which is late
Stuart.
The Millennium banner may be in church. It was
created for the Year 2000 by parishioners across the North
Hartismere Benefice and is unbelievably beautiful and symbolic. It
tours around all the churches in our Benefice, here as well as
Brome, Oakley, Stuston, Burgate and Wortham. Have a look at both
sides!
The stained glass windows in the sanctuary are
all brightly coloured. Colours have great significance, and the
east window is usually designed to give a message of hope to
believers. These windows reflect the rural nature of this parish,
with floral motifs including grapes, lilies and little white
flowers which may be daisies, or possibly columbine. Lilies
represent immortality or beauty, and are usually associated with
the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. The Blessed Virgin Mary is
more often depicted in Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches
than Anglican, although coded symbols such as the lily, rose or
pierced heart may be seen. Roses come in many forms – red for
martyrdom or white for purity. The roses in our big east window are
classic English Tudor roses, a blend of the symbols of the houses
of York and Lancaster, and probably represent England rather than
Mary.
Alpha and Omega also appear. They are the letters
at the beginning and end of the Greek alphabet (obviously the first
two are alpha-beta!). They therefore represent the eternity of God:
the beginning and the end, Infinity. Threes also appear a lot in
churches as a symbol of the trinity of God the Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is often represented as a
dove descending – just like in this window. This is a Biblical
reference from the gospels referring to Jesus’ baptism by John.
This window also contains pictures of the bread and wine which are
the core of Christian worship. All three windows in the sanctuary
were the gifts of Reverend Charles Martyn and his wife Sarah in
1851. This Rector is buried in a vault near the altar. He was the
principal benefactor of the 1861 building works, set up three
charitable trusts which still contribute funds to the church and he
also founded the present village school behind the church – quite a
guy!
There are no images of the crucified Christ in
our church. The cross that is placed on the altar during services
is plain – the usual Anglican form and a powerful message that
Christ has endured the cross and defeated death. This is the
central message of Christianity – that Christ died to save our
sins. We believe that Christ returned from the dead, and that He is
still alive today. Although Christ’s death was quite remarkable,
His resurrection means that we worship a living God.
The choir stalls, pulpit and reading desk are all
1861, and the carved oak credence table is 20th century.
Only one window, to the South, depicts a Biblical
scene. In the outer panels are found symbols of the Gospel-writers
and angels surrounded by vines and fruits. In the central panel
Jesus is bringing Lazarus back to life after he has been dead for
four days. There are both male and female figures; one may be Mary
of Bethany or her sister Martha. The words that Jesus used are
often used in the Christian funeral service ‘I am the resurrection
and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’ [John
11:25-26].
This episode is also famous for generating the
shortest verse in the Bible – ‘Jesus wept’ [John 11:35]. Note that
Christ appears with a cruciform halo, signifying his divinity and
sacrifice.
The middle south window is modern and
awe-inspiring. Designed by Surinder Hayes Warboys, and dedicated in
1995, it works on many levels. When the sun shines through this
window in the morning services it speckles the congregation with
colours. There is a detailed explanatory sheet on the window
ledge.
There is a suit of armour above the porch door
which allegedly belonged to a Parish Constable, preceding the
Police Force. However there is some doubt that it is real armour:
it may be mock plate associated with an old memorial. There are
many other interesting memorials dotted around the church which
bear close inspection (details on the table tennis bat near the
south door!).
Finally do take a look around the churchyard.
This is a closed churchyard administered by the Parish Council, and
some of it is given over to a wildlife sanctuary because of the
plants and birds found there. There are some interesting graves
including the last resting place of a waggoner, and a printer.
Graves face east, following the Jewish custom of facing the sun as
a sign of hope, but also because it is expected Jesus will appear
to the east and His followers will therefore be facing
Him.
People preferred to be buried on the south but
our church sits in the middle of the churchyard. However, the
southern preference means that the land is higher on the south side
because there has been greater displacement of earth over the
years, especially near the church wall. The small piscina near the
pulpit, once used for cleansing the Communion cup, would have
drained into this area.
Sanctuary was generally granted once inside the
grounds of a churchyard although sadly it was abolished some time
ago!
We hope this has been interesting and
informative. If you have enjoyed this little tour we would
appreciate a donation in the wall-box by the porch door!
Pamela Chrispin 2004.
Our Thanks to Pam for allowing us to publish this
article and images also to Hugh and Simon for use of their
images.
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