Church of St Peter & St Paul, Marlborough

History of the church of St Peter and St Paul

Within two years of the Norman conquest Marlborough had become an important centre of William the Conqueror's power. A mint, transferred from Great Bedwyn, was issuing silver pennies in 1068, and it seems likely that this was the year of the Castle's foundation. The "Mound” was used for the Castle's motte and the Keep was on its summit This “Mound” is as old as Silbury Hill, and is probably the origin of Marlborough's name (e.g. “Barrow of Maerla"). Merlin's name has been fancifully suggested as the origin of 'Marl', because of a legend that he had been magically entombed within the Mound; but it pre-dates Merlin by many centuries. By 1100 the wooden motte and bailey castle had been completed. Stone was not used in Marlborough Castle before 1175; but it was classed in 1138 with Bristol Castle as one of the strongest in England.

By 1100 also a church had been built on the site of the present church of St. Peter and St Paul. The Castle itself was in the parish of Preshute, whose boundary then ran through what is now the College Chapel and Court; its occupants presumably worshipped in Preshute Church at first, until the Castle had its own chapels within its walls. St Peter's, as it has usually been known, was probably built to serve those who worked in the Castle but lived outside. There are still two traces of this original church. One is on the outside of the wall on the North side of the Nave, near the West end, where a few yards of the wall are made of flints with bits of tile or brick, above the blocked-up North door. The other is an arch, carved in about 1370, which was said by a Victorian antiquary to have been placed in front of the aumbry in the South wall of the Sanctuary. (An aumbry is a cupboard where vessels for the Mass are kept). A list of Rectors exists, dating back to 1297; but the earliest recorded name of a Rector is one 'Thomas the Chaplain', dated 1201.

The Castle's importance grew in the thirteenth century. It was one of King John's favourite residences and Marlborough was given the status of a Borough by him in 1204. It was also in his reign that Hugh Neville, Constable of the Castle, exchanged 80 acres of downland, which now forms Marlborough Common, for 5 acres adjacent to the Castle grounds. These now form part of Marlborough College, and it was because of this extension of the Castle grounds that the Bath Road took its present shape with the right-angled bend just North-West of St Peter's.

The churchyard at that time extended further to the South, and there were meadows below it, running down to the river; the houses which now stand there (52-64 High Street) were not built until early in the nineteenth century. This was the area in which St.Peter's Fair was held annually. Permission for this four day event was given in 1246 by Henry III; originally it began on June 28, the eve of St. Peter's Day, but dates varied somewhat over the years, and it had lapsed by 1879. Henry III spent a good deal of time at Marlborough during the middle part of the thirteenth century. It was in Marlborough that Parliament met in 1267, to pass the Statutes of Marlborough, through which, to quote the late Sir Arthur Bryant, the King 'subordinated for all time the baronial franchise to the royal'.

But the Castle was allowed to go to ruin from about 1360. Meanwhile, the congregation of St Peter's must have been growing, but it was not until about 1460 that the building of the present Church began. (In "The Churches of Marlborough”, dated 1905, Canon Christopher Wordsworth notes that oyster shells began to be introduced into the mortar of stone joints at about that date, and they can be noticed in St. Peter's.) The basic structure was as it is now, though the South Porch with the Priest's Room above it, and the South Chancel door, were added in about 1500. The stone vault of the Chancel is unusual in a parish church. It was below this that Thomas Wolsey, who became Cardinal, Archbishop of York and Chancellor of the Kingdom, was ordained priest in 1498. At this time there were three chantries, or side-altars, for the Jesus Fraternity, the Blessed Trinity, and St. Katharine. There was also a Chapel to 'Our Lady of Pity'.

A medieval rood loft across the aisles and Chancel, carrying the crucifix flanked by figures of St. Mary and St. John, was reached through a doorway in the wall of the North aisle. This rood undoubtedly disappeared in the 16th century Reformation. The stairway, whose foot can still be seen at the N.E. corner of the North aisle, was blocked by Wyatt's North buttress in the restoration of 1862.

In 1627 a Western gallery was constructed, and an organ was installed there in 1776. A photograph of 1860 shows this gallery, with a large clock which was dated 1746. Also visible in a photograph of that date is the metal 'tie-rod' which spanned the Chancel arch. This had to be fitted to strengthen the arch, whose weakness had become evident. It had been the custom to hang Royal Arms over the Chancel arch. The last Royal Arms, painted in 1778, can be seen in the photograph. These are now in St. Mary's Church.

By 1859, when The Reverend T.W.Dowding became Rector, the Church was falling into disrepair. He had employed the Diocesan Architect, Mr Thomas Henry Wyatt, in the rebuilding of the nearby Preshute Church, and he commissioned him to produce plans for the restoration of St. Peter's, which were accepted. A new roof was constructed above the Nave. It replaced the old barrel-vaulted one; but the fine stone liernine vault in the Chancel was left in place, although the 1862 faculty gave approval for its removal if this was "expedient”. The medieval timbers of the old roof over the Chancel also still remain, and still perform their original supporting role. The new steeper-pitched roof was added above the old one, simply for sake of appearance.

The roofs of the aisles were lowered slightly to improve the pitch, and arches with external buttresses were introduced across both aisles to support the main Chancel arch. The gallery at the West end was removed and at the North-East corner of the church Wyatt added a small vestry, which has been converted by the Trust into lavatories. The pulpit was moved further West to its present position from its former place by the Sanctuary steps.

To strengthen the walls supporting the stone vault Wyatt also replaced the former 5-light East window by a new 3-light window, with stained glass made by Lavers and Barraud. A new font, constructed from Caen stone, was placed in the Baptistery, beneath the Tower. This was moved in 1924 to its present position. The Chancel and Sanctuary were paved with tiles made by Minton. The tiles with which the East wall was also decorated were painted over in the 1960s, but have now been carefully uncovered. In 1866 the great West window, which portrays St. Peter in the centre flanked by the four Evangelists above five Gospel scenes, was installed. Painted glass windows were installed in the South aisle in 1875.

Some of the various memorial tablets which decorate the walls, bearing the names of many ancient Wiltshire families, were moved during the alterations; but the most remarkable of all remains on the North wall at the East end of the Chancel. It was erected in 1626 in memory of the three children of the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Nicholas Hyde, all of whom died tragically in that year. Sir Nicholas himself is buried and commemorated in the church of Great Bedwyn.

In the War Memorial Chapel there is a tablet put up in memory of Dr. Thelwell Maurice (1768 - 1830), founder of what is now the oldest family medical practice in Britain, and his wife. There is also a tomb stone on the floor, formerly before the High Altar, which tells us that Edward Cressett, 'Practicer of Phisick", died in 1693 "in the year of his age 108', leaving £160 'to be improved to the equal! and perpetnall benefit’ of the Ministers of St. Peter's and St. Mary's. The wooden reredos, carved by Herbert Read of Exeter, was installed in 1924. The panelling in this Chapel is made from the remains of the 18th century box pews, discovered in the Rectory coach house.

The formal re-opening of the restored church took place, with much ceremony, on Thursday, 25 June 1863.

In the early 1870s the simulated stone walls in the Sanctuary and Chancel were covered in plaster; this was painted with stencil designs in red, blue, green and gold. Bosses showing the instruments of the Passion and consecration crosses were inserted into a multi-coloured frieze. These patterns, which were limewashed in the 1960s, have now been revealed.

In 1924 the parish was joined with the parish of St. Mary's in one benefice. In September 1952 the two parishes were united, and St. Peter's became a 'Chapel of Ease’. This meant that it could be served by the incumbent, or by a minister specially appointed by him, for the convenience of parishioners who live at a distance.

By 1970 it was clear that St. Peter's was in danger of being declared redundant, under the restrictions of the Pastoral Measure of 1968. A report on St. Peter's dated 20 November 1973 by the Council for Places of Worship concluded that vesting in the Redundant Churches Fund would have effectively closed the church, and suggested that the people of Marlborough, through the District Council, might accept responsibility for it, and seek uses for it, to the benefit of the community. The Mayor, Alderman JAV.Seamer, 'took the initiative in the search for viable alternative uses for the building', to quote the Council General Purposes/ Finance Committee, which formed a sub-committee chaired by the Mayor on 28 May 1974.

The Redundant Churches Uses Committee welcomed this initiative: the church was declared redundant on 1 November 1974 and, on 14 December 1977, a Trust Company limited by guarantee was formed. It was formally incorporated as the 'St. Peter's and St. Paul's Marlborough Trust Limited’ on 13 February 1978, and registered as a Charity on 14 December 1978. At the first meeting of the Council of Management, held on 18 May 1978, Mr Seamer was elected Chairman and Mr John O'Regan Hon. Secretary. A 21 year lease from Salisbury Diocese (later increased to 99 years) was negotiated, at a peppercorn rent. The two-fold objects of the Trust are to preserve this historic and beautiful building, and to ensure its continued use for the benefit of both local inhabitants and visitors to Marlborough.

Since then the Trust's history has been one of continuous expansion. A crucial factor in its success at first was the establishment in the church of Marlborough's first Tourist Information Centre, opened on 8 May 1978. This was set up, managed and operated by the Trust, and was so successful that it was awarded a Certificate of Special Commendation in the British Tourist Authority's 1978 "Come to Britain" Trophy competition. Kennet District Council was most helpful at this time, providing 200 chairs in place of most of the pews, and contributing generously to the cost of installing lavatories in the former vestry. With the help also of local supporters and diverse fund-raising activities about £20,000 was spent on the most urgent repairs to stonework, the Nave and Tower roofs, the area between the old and new Chancel roofs (which had long been the home of many pigeons), new lighting and heating, repairing the weather-vanes and clock face and various smaller tasks.

But a major crisis now confronted the Trust. The discovery in 1981 of extensive dry rot in the roof led to further investigation, as a result of which it was estimated that £55,000 would be needed to replace timbers damaged by dry rot, as well as carrying out repairs to the parapet, stonework and slate roof, and treating the whole of the Nave and aisle roofs against a massive infestation of woodworm. The Department of the Environment (now English Heritage), thanks to their Architect, Mr Sumpster, was persuaded to offer 55% of this sum if the Trust undertook to produce the rest. The challenge was accepted. By means of an Appeal to many individuals and Charitable Trusts, as well as frequent concerts etc., the money was raised; not only that, but an additional £27,000 (of which the Department again contributed 55%) to deal with more dry rot in the North Aisle roof.

After further necessary work on such things as levelling the floor and installing a kitchen, the Trust was able to increase the activities which took place in the church. There have been concerts, meetings, Craft Markets, Art exhibitions, plays, wedding receptions, sales (of Charity Christmas cards, particularly, for 8 weeks each year before Christmas), and many other events which have helped local Charities, individuals, societies and other organisations as well as the Trust's finances.

In 1990 Kennet District Council decided to take over the T.I.C., and in April 1991 it was moved to the Council's offices in the town. Shortly before this two tenancies had begun to operate in the church. One is the Art/Craft Centre, which provides an outlet for over a hundred local artists and craftsmen, offering a wide range of goods. The other is a tea shop which was originally called "Mustard Seed". It occupied the North aisle, selling Christian literature, as well as coffee and meals. In 1997, however, "Mustard Seed" moved to premises nearer the centre of the town, and were replaced in the church by "Marriners Tea Shop', serving coffee and meals as well as tea. The Art/Craft Centre and Marriner's are both open on every week¬day, and most Sunday afternoons, almost throughout the year.


Taken from a leaflet obtained in the church circa 2002.