Chichester, St Peter the Great Church

St Peter the Great, Chichester

St Peter the Great Church stands at the intersection of West Street and Tower Street in Chichester, almost directly opposite the cathedral. The story of this parish church actually begins at the cathedral, where the original congregation worshipped.

The likely reason for this odd arrangement is that when the cathedral moved from Selsey to Chichester in the late 11th century, it was erected on the site of the largest and most important town church. The parishioners of that church were allowed to continue worshipping in the new cathedral rather than having to build a new parish church.

History

When the Norman cathedral was constructed, the parish congregation initially used its nave and later moved to the north transept, with their priest serving as sub-dean. For this reason, the parish was also known as the Subdeanery parish. Parishioners had their own entrance, and the transept was separated from the rest of the Cathedral by a partition.

This arrangement proved challenging because the parish was restricted to just one service per week, and as the congregation grew, the space became increasingly inadequate.

Buttresses, south facade

The Victorian Church

In the 1840s, Dean George Chandler launched a fundraising appeal to purchase a new site across the road. The project succeeded, and renowned architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter (1812-1855) was commissioned to design a new church in the fourteenth-century Gothic style. Carpenter was an associate of AW Pugin, architect of the Palace of Westminster, and had close ties to the Cambridge Camden Society (later to become the Ecclesiological Society).

While Carpenter's original plans included a tower, budget constraints led to the construction of a porch instead. The new Church of St Peter the Great was consecrated in 1852, and archaeologist Alec Down would later praise it as 'Victorian architecture at its best.'

The church is built of coursed ashlar masonry with predominantly red clay tiled roofs. Its elegant design features a four-bay nave with north and south aisles, and a two-bay chancel.

Exterior

The exterior is notable for its beautiful curvilinear windows, particularly along West Street, where buttresses mark each bay. Inside, the church originally featured well-proportioned aisle arcades and an impressive open roof with eight arch-braced trusses.

Bomb Damage

During World War II, St Peter the Great suffered bomb damage, losing much of its stained glass in the process. In 1947, a new window depicting St Peter was installed.

By the 1980s, the church faced significant challenges, with a declining congregation and the need for expensive repairs to the building. The church was finally deconsecrated in 1982. The congregation first moved to St Bartholomew's and later merged with St Paul's parish.

From Market to Pub

The building's next chapter began in 1983 when it was converted into St Peter's Market, housing nineteen independent businesses. In 1998, designer Tony Castley oversaw a sympathetic restoration, and the building reopened as a pub called St Peter's Slurping Toad.

The pub's decor, which featured large, brightly-coloured clothed toads, proved controversial, with many feeling it inappropriate for a former church building. The toads were eventually removed, and the establishment later became known as West's, then The Duke and Rye (often called simply 'Duke').

Despite these changes in use, the building retains its Grade II listed status, recognizing its significance as an excellent example of early Victorian church architecture. The exterior, in particular, remains remarkably well-preserved, showcasing the refined Gothic Revival style that would influence church architects for decades to come.

Visiting

The 'church' is open during regular business hours. Access is simple, as the building stands a stone's throw from the market cross and directly opposite the cathedral.