Church of St Peter

Church of St Peter

This church was constructed between 1961 and 1964 to designs by Norman T Rider, featuring stained glass by Tristan Ruhlmann.

The building is constructed of reinforced concrete with a brick ambulatory and dalle de verre glasswork. The domed roof of the church and north-east vestry is topped with copper.

The church takes the form of an octagonal drum with a tall west tower. A single-storey lean-to ambulatory follows the outline of the drum, with an attached lady chapel to the south. A vestry and office are attached at the north-east end.

The west tower is tall and topped with a circular concrete roof supported by four columns and surmounted by a copper cross. The square tower shaft has concave elevations with concrete criss-cross belfry windows. Three tall slim lights are positioned on the first floor of the tower on the north and south elevations, with a further two lights above. Below this is a contrasting convex entrance featuring a flat concrete arch with stepped detail and original timber doors.

Behind the tower stands the church's large concrete octagonal drum with projecting lean-to brick structures. The concrete dome spans approximately 28 metres east to west and 23 metres north to south. Six of the eight concrete elevations (three to the north and three to the south) contain pairs of dalle de verre windows by Tristan Ruhlmann, installed in 1964. The twelve clerestory windows depict ancient prayer mats traditionally hung in open windows of early Christian churches, with wavy edges suggesting movement in the wind. The east elevation contains a large east window illustrating a scene from the Gospel of St John, with colourful dalle de verre glasswork extending across five tall lights with ferramenta.

The ambulatory is constructed as a single-storey lean-to in stretcher-bond brick with a blue brick plinth. It features a series of small, irregular window openings with concrete surrounds. At the south end, a flat-roofed lady chapel with a 1970 dalle de verre window on the east elevation depicts the nativity scene. The chapel is also brick construction with a concrete plat band and three slim window openings on the south elevation.

At the north-east end is an attached flat-roof block containing a vestry and office with a covered entrance, ramped walkway, and modern uPVC windows on the north and south elevations.

The principal entrance opens to a narthex with timber ceiling and concrete walls. To either side are a small warden's room and a separate store, with ladder access to the tower above and additional storage space. Glazed double doors lead from the narthex to a large open nave with non-fixed seating radiating from the sanctuary at the east end. The nave and chancel walls are bush-hammered concrete whilst the ambulatory walls are plastered. The floor is parquet with a small central slab incised with alpha and omega characters. Around the nave perimeter stand several slender reinforced concrete piers with irregular sections.

The sanctuary is dominated by the large 1964 dalle de verre east window and features a simple arched credence shelf to the right. A mahogany altar table stands at the centre with matching altar rails and metal balustrade at the base of three tiled steps. Matching mahogany veneer pulpits are positioned both north and south of the altar. A triangular concrete font with rounded corners is situated at the west end, with organ pipes and mahogany casing positioned above the narthex.

The lady chapel at the south end is accessed behind a glazed wall and contains a simple timber rail and altar table with Ruhlmann's 1970 dalle de verre window behind. An additional credence shelf with small concrete lintel is situated on the south wall.

The vestry and office are accessed via the north-east end of the nave and feature matching parquet flooring to the main church.