St Peter's Church, Caversham

For the similarly named New Zealand church, see St Peter's Anglican Church, Caversham, New Zealand.

St Peter's Church is a Church of England parish church in Caversham, a suburb of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated close to the River Thames in Caversham Heights.

St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church tower
St Peter's Church Location within Reading
51°28′6.84″N 0°58′50.86″W
Location	Caversham, Reading
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	stpetercaversham.org.uk
History
Founded	1162
Dedication	Saint Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*[1]
Style	Norman
Administration
Diocese	Oxford
Archdeaconry	Berkshire

History

View from the south, 1800-1809

The church dates to 1162.^[2]

Royalists stationed troops in St Peter's Church during the Siege of Reading in 1643, and situated a cannon on top of the church tower. The Parliamentarians used artillery to destroy the tower. The church itself was also damaged in the process.^[3][4][5] The tower was initially replaced with a wooden tower. A south aisle was added in 1878, along with the present tower. It has eight bells, the oldest of which dates to 1637. Rectorial rights were restored in 1916.^[2]

References

1. "Church of St Peter, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
2. "Brief History". Retrieved 19 December 2022.
3. Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 62. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
4. "Caversham (in Oxfordshire)". Royal Berkshire History. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
5. "Early History of Caversham". Caversham.info. Retrieved 11 May 2011.

External links

• Official website